• djsoren19@yiffit.net
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      9 months ago

      Humans can have more complex emotions. We can be stressed about theoretical concepts that animals just are not equipped to understand. We can be excited by the prospect of future events.

      Most animal emotions are immediate. They enjoy some food they eat, they find a nice warm spot to bask in, they see a predator and run away. Most animals lack the mental capacity to think beyond the immediate.

      • KubeRoot@discuss.tchncs.de
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        9 months ago

        If that’s the case, then there’s also something more complex going on - animals can certainly learn to anticipate things at specific times, like food, a dog gets excited by a doorbell because they knew that means somebody is coming, they can get stressed out by innocuous things if they associate it with bad experiences like beatings.

        Not saying you’re wrong, but it warrants further explanation, because as is it doesn’t match the simple experience of living with a dog.

      • TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee
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        9 months ago

        I mean, that could just be a fault in observation. The same line of thinking was utilized by people like Thomas Jefferson to validate his own use of slavery.

        The language we use to describe intellect and emotions are inseparable from biased interpretation by humans. Can all humans “stress about theoretical concepts”? If a human lacks the ability to do so, do they become less human, or more animalistic?