I think my snake loves me

[tigerretic76]

what i am meaning is that there is infinite number of ways to show "love" and to "interpret" love. therefore love is an abstract emotion, thought or action. thats exactly my point, what makes my wife, or my parents or my best friend or joe smith off the street different. i accept and tolerate each person for who they are, what they represent and offer me.

[Egapal]

Just because there are many ways to show love does not mean that those acts are indicative of love. For instance. When I see my girlfriend has been working on a paper for her grad program for 3 hours an has no drink in front of her I will go to the kitchen and get her a bottle of water. That act is based on my love and affection. A cop can interrogate a witness for only so long before they are legally obligated to provide water. Not out of love. You may interpret your snakes actions as love but the question is what are your snakes motivations. Now I hate to admit this but I did some research on reptilian brains and I have to say that I am going to change my answer to support a very very loose interpretation of the word love. I still believe that love is a complex emotions that requires parts of the brain that snakes don't have but, they do have a limbic system and some would argue that the basics of emotions come from the limbic system. So sure your snake has snake love for you. Snake love is nothing like human love though.

[tigerretic76]

well, i guess to each his/her own on the opinions and thoughts on the crazy emotion called, "love"

[Whiffa]

Love is a complex emotion in the brain. It requires chemical impulses and neurons firing as well as physical responses to stimulation. Love comes from a specific portion of the brain.

Snakes physically lack the portion of the brain that controls emotion, thus they cannot feel any sort of attachment.

[littleindiangirl]

Are we debating if humans have instinct? Because there are facts to support that they do, not many, but they are there. Humans eat and reproduce naturally, even if they had little human contact, what would you call that?
Survival instincts. ;]

In psychology, we learned that instincts and reflexes are both natural and begin at birth. However, reflexes are only reactions to some type of action. Instincts are actions in themselves without having an action to feed or naturally cause them.

In psychology, you were taught wrong. Humans have drives, behaviors, reflexes, but not instincts, and there are facts to support it.

[DutchHerp]

In psychology, you were taught wrong. Humans have drives, behaviors, reflexes, but not instincts, and there are facts to support it.

Why would people not have instincts? Sorry, I'm not educated on this matter, but it does seem really interesting and it always seemed obvious people did have instincts.. after all, we're still mammals.

[PythonBreeder]

I am just gobsmacked 4 people think their snake loves them

I cannot believe these people. WOW! I believe snakes have emotions.

[_Venom_]

Why would people not have instincts? Sorry, I'm not educated on this matter, but it does seem really interesting and it always seemed obvious people did have instincts.. after all, we're still mammals.

I want to know this too...

Are emotions not instincts?
We do not learn them.

When native americans, europeans, asians, etc. had not met each other they all stilled smiled, cried, tried to get away etc. with no one teaching them how to. All ages do the same too....

[demonicchild]

Snakes do not feel love. I do feel that they have emotions to some degree, but none so complex as love, hate, ect.

[Malpaso]

can anyone define difference between loving someone and like someone? Is it like "3xlike=love"?