Journalists Without Pets Are Dangerous
Wait, what?
It Doesn’t Take A Genius
An alleged journalist recently published an article in which they wondered whether animals have emotions. For a moment, it sparked the thought that, unlike us, animals would have every reason to ask the same question about humans. Indeed, the curious writer must have had little experience with either animals or emotions, perhaps both, to entertain such ideas. It doesn’t take an animal lover to know that feelings aren’t a human feat. We won’t catch our pets conversing and pondering on the stupidity of their owners, and we may harbour doubts over their rational capabilities. However, we only need to spend a brief time with a cat or a dog to attest to their emotions.
An Exceedingly Human Trait
After the initial shock at the journalist’s boldness, I ruminated further and realised this line of thinking is proof of an exceedingly human trait. When we don’t understand something, we declare it alien. When we cannot relate, we negate. If something is beyond our comprehension, we and they must be irreconcilably different, divergent, and distant. From there, it is a small step toward deeming the alien a threat. We focus on the differences and build a picture of a danger we can safely and unscrupulously erase.