Humans are weird

[Pyrate81]

There was a post not long ago(maybe a month or two back) with videos of people who trained their rats, dog, cat, and weasels. Some people expressed an opinion/thought/observation of how we feed rats("intelligent" animal) to snakes("non" intelligent) animal.

This got me to thinking about how humans see themselves as intelligent beings and how we are the "smartest" on the planet which to some is debatable. We may have the highest intelligence but we definitely need to be knocked off our "high and mighty" pedestal a bit.

My observation: some people feel bad for feeding rats to snakes. However, we don't bat an eye when we have to clean up after our dogs. It's just another "chore" for us to do and another item for us to clean. Which aren't dogs of "lower intelligence"? Why are we cleaning up after them? We give them shelter, food, stability, etc. They give us companionship, puppy breath, and wet faces.

My personal belief in cleaning up after my dog is that I don't except when he goes to the bathroom where people walk. I like to run outside so the sidewalk is kind of a "home" for me. Sometimes I have to run on the grass between the street and sidewalk, therefore karma/conscious/belief would have me clean up after my dog if he drops a deuce there so another runner does not have to step in my dog's feces.


Humans are just weird. Sometimes I wonder if there are aliens looking down on this planet and shaking their head or facepalming us because we are really weird and someone really wants to push the "red button" to wipe us out but they keep getting their hand slapped away from it. Personally, I'd push the button. At this point in human evolution/history, we aren't worth keeping around.

[CptJack]

I clean up after my dogs not because I am serving them in some capacity but because they aren't going to do it themselves and:
A-) I don't want to walk in dog crap in my yard, have my lawn ruined, or have it become disgusting and attract flies since they go in one relatively small area. I would also like my yard not to stink to high heaven, and I'm sure my neighbor's appreciate that as well.

B-) in places like parks/trails/the street/other people's yards/campsites/places other people will be, it's consideration for other human beings. No one wants someone else's dog's crap in their yard, and no one wants a park visit ruined by piles of steaming dog crap. Lots of people not doing so also means the loss of access to other people's pets and that's not cool, either. (Ie: No one picks up for long enough everyone loses the right to use it because management 'ew grosses' out'.

We don't pick up after the dogs for the DOGS - the dogs don't care. We pick up for the dogs for our own sanitation, convenience, aesthetics, and respect for other people and their property.

So, I find people weird in a lot of ways. This isn't one of them.

[AlexisFitzy]

There was a post not long ago(maybe a month or two back) with videos of people who trained their rats, dog, cat, and weasels. Some people expressed an opinion/thought/observation of how we feed rats("intelligent" animal) to snakes("non" intelligent) animal.

This got me to thinking about how humans see themselves as intelligent beings and how we are the "smartest" on the planet which to some is debatable. We may have the highest intelligence but we definitely need to be knocked off our "high and mighty" pedestal a bit.

Firstly that feeding rats to snakes thing is probably the dumbest thing I've ever heard, I remember reading it on here. Sure rats are awesome little critters that are smart as can be but that's just what snakes eat. Rodents. That's just the way things are. There are even lots of other predators that eat rodents, they are easy prey. So I can understand how a person that's all about rats feels but still it's just the way things are so just get over it lol. Pigs are pretty darn smart too but I love bacon, pretty sure lots of other people do too

And the human intelligence thing..yeah I'm one of those that find that to be highly debatable. I'm not the smartest person in the world, but everyone knows tons of idiots. But our whole way of living is so backwards and not even right, but anyway that's a different long story. But that's just my personal opinion on this too. Hope I didn't step on any toes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bluebonnet Herp]

Sometimes I wonder if there are aliens looking down on this planet and shaking their head or facepalming us because we are really weird and someone really wants to push the "red button" to wipe us out but they keep getting their hand slapped away from it. Personally, I'd push the button. At this point in human evolution/history, we aren't worth keeping around.

I'm sure your friends, family, and everyone else here would appreciate that. /sarcasm

http://melissaasmith.hubpages.com/hu...about-dolphins

I personally don't expect people to ever have common sense to determine the right course of action, but I don't hate on people and they do surprise me sometimes. (I'm nothing too special after all.)
I don't understand your metaphor at all. How does a snake eating rats compare to dog crap?

As for the rats being fed to snakes, people just need to switch to a humane method of pre-killing if they're feeling so bad. My BPs won't take frozen/thawed but they will take a fresh killed rat that died instantly after a broken neck. So far, I just can't see the logic found in feeding live when it's unnecessary. (in other words, with the exception of individuals who only eat live such as hatchlings or picky adults. That's unpreventable and refusing to feed them their live food would result in suffering on their part.)
(No, a tub or viv in your bedroom/basement is not "nature." Nature for BPs is waaay out in Africa where there is no human intervention to bring them domestic rats to eat or clean up their poop.)

Human society is (or can be) a better environment than the wilderness. We have the ability to prevent suffering for the animals under our care out of compassion, especially since they did not choose to be here, and means should be taken to do that if we love our animals so much. Why a lot people will make excuses for that is beyond me.

[Charlottesmom1966]

Pigs are pretty darn smart too but I love bacon, pretty sure lots of other people do too

And the human intelligence thing..yeah I'm one of those that find that to be highly debatable. I'm not the smartest person in the world, but everyone knows tons of idiots. But our whole way of living is so backwards and not even right, but anyway that's a different long story. But that's just my personal opinion on this too. Hope I didn't step on any toes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Totally agree! There are smart humans, there are some pretty darn stooooooopid humans. We as a species seem heII bent on distroying ourselves, and may well accomplish it within mine or my kids lifetime, it will most likely be due to what a small group of people decide, and everyone else will follow. People in general (in my opinion), are sheep, one does something the majority of the herd does it regardless. Lately life seems like a popularity contest one which I refuse to participate in.

[Kat_Dog]

People feel bad about feeding rats to snakes, but they don't feel bad about killing the same creatures just because they're living in the same building as people. What's the difference?
The difference is, one life is used to fuel another, and the other life is wasted.
I don't understand! Just because they aren't domestic doesn't make them any less of a rat or less of a living creature, and yet people don't bat an eye when people kill wild rats.

Not that I'm saying we shouldn't eliminate wild rodents, I just think it's dumb how one thing could get a reaction of "oh, how cruel" while the other gets "yea! kill those vermin" when for the rat, it's the same result.

Cleaning up after your dogs is for our own health along with the dog's health, and I'm not sure how it compares feeding a "smart" animal to a "dumb" one. Feces left outside brings flies, which can bring disease, not to mention all the bacteria that grows on poop.

[Navaro]

I'm a Vegan. For all the reasons most vegans are vegans. Yet I still happily feed my snakes and reptiles rats ect. Why?

Because I'm intelligent enough to realize that different beings have different needs and desires. Just because I choose to live a certain way, doesn't make me right or others wrong.


Anyone who complains for the 'greater good' is generally a keyboard warrior, and its all smoke and mirrors. I live as a vegan because I respect my body and the living. I feed my snakes mice or rates because I respect theirs.

It's not rocket science.

[Izzys Keeper]

think about it this way...
intelligence is something completely made up by humans. its a measurement we use to make ourselves feel better than each other and the rest of the animals. other animals do not understand intelligence or give a rats behind if what theyre eating is smarter than them. we as humans have the instinct and need to quantify everything in order to better our understanding of the world around us which only drives that "intelligence" fantasy. really animals have no idea what the other animals think or even if other animals can think at all. they live in their heads and their heads only. food is food to them. instincts are instincts. I doubt lions and snakes and penguins contemplate their own intelligence.

it just goes back to the idea that humans are weird.

"I have thoughts!" + "This is how many thoughts I have!" + "My thoughts are better than yours!" = INTELLIGENCE

lol but then again here I am trying to explain why we try to explain things....

[Pythonfriend]

if you want to see some serious cognitive dissonance, open the can of worms that is religion.

if you want to see highly educated research scientists with a good publication record contradict themselves really badly, look no further. religion has you covered.

one person can hold two beliefs that completely contradict each other, even if challenged repeatedly, FOR DECADES.

Humans are awesome in their mental abilities, to the point of being completely stubborn, and to the point that they can hold several oppinions that contradict each other at the same time. just like the moderators here, whowant to protect children but also want people to speak freely, so they may hit you with penalties for saying: "F star star star you". humans appear to be wired for cognitive dissonance.

[Izzys Keeper]

F star star star you haha.
Loophole-ing around the rules like a boss. Well done!