Snakes, dogs, cats, horses-- anthropomorphism

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

Can snakes feel emotions? I've seen no evidence to suggest that.

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Well snakes can stress out so wouldn't that be connected to emotion? Something like fear, put a snake on the ground and stand over it, I've never seen a snake remain calm with a person doing that. I know my Blood python will freak out if I do that and he will get very defensive and start hissing.

Perhaps a better example might be handling a snake for too long. Mine can get squirmy and tense when I handle him for long periods of time so that could be anxiety.

Or would that be related to something else?

Instinct behavior connected to survival, not emotion.

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Originally Posted by starmom

I'm suggesting that you learn a little bit about the brain..... :rolleyes:

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Hey there.
No rolly eyes necessary.

It is possible to have a conversation about the definitions, personal vs scientific of what exactly emotion IS. I'm not threatening your world view. I'm not saying you are wrong. I am questioning the definition itself. You say emotion is the chemical cascade. I say emotion is a construct, chemical cascade or NO. The chemicals are what we experience. I am questioning whether that experience is the only definition of emotion and whether what we define as emotion is in fact only a reaction to stress, to security, to fear.

People all over discuss anthropomorphism in all species of animals and believe (some) that no animals save hum,ans have the capacity for emotion. I challenge that. I challenge that humans have the monopoly on emotion and in fact whether we have actual emotion or of we have invented words only to set ourselves apart from the animals. We ARE animals. I believe that the concept of anthropomorphism is overzealously used.

You can talk about brain structure and chemistry. Yes the brains are different. But that does not mean that our concept of emotion, feeling, perception is unassailable. Is emotion instinct? Maybe. Is emotion anything but human made? Maybe not. These things are worth discussing without derision.

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Originally Posted by Earl

Well snakes can stress out so wouldn't that be connected to emotion? Something like fear, put a snake on the ground and stand over it, I've never seen a snake remain calm with a person doing that. I know my Blood python will freak out if I do that and he will get very defensive and start hissing.

Perhaps a better example might be handling a snake for too long. Mine can get squirmy and tense when I handle him for long periods of time so that could be anxiety.

Or would that be related to something else?

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You're guessing that it is something you recognize, ie anxiety, when it may well be a simle urge to be NOT where the snake is or perhaps it is not enjoying being handled or perhaps your soap or aftershave are irritating to taste or smell. Maybe it gets the urge to poop when handled.

There are a plethora of possibilities other than those anthropomorphic.

However, mere numbers do not communicate to correctness.

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Originally Posted by wilomn

...Anthropomorphism is an interesting quirk that many people have. I firmly believe that some mammals experience some of the same, or at least very similar, feelings that we do. We've seen it in dogs, whales, hefalumps and others...

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Especially the Hefalumps :rofl:

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Originally Posted by ZinniaZ

You can talk about brain structure and chemistry. Yes the brains are different. But that does not mean that our concept of emotion, feeling, perception is unassailable. Is emotion instinct? Maybe. Is emotion anything but human made? Maybe not. These things are worth discussing without derision.

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What is emotion? What is happening to your bodies when your happy or sad? Why do people take pills for depression? Why do people feel really happy on shrooms, and cry when coming down? Why does alcohol make us overly emotional... laughing or tripping out and beating the face in of the guy next to us?


It's all physiological. If an animal lacks the area of the brain able to put out the hormones or fire those neurons... are we still going to say they feel emotions like animals that have that area?

Now it's starting to sound superstitious.

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Originally Posted by starmom

Instinct behavior connected to survival, not emotion.

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Ahh gotcha.

I don't understand your post :confused:

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Originally Posted by starmom

I don't understand your post :confused:

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I mean I see, I understand. I'm totally with ya starmom. :)

D'oh!!!! :gj: