Do you hold animals as equals or higher than humans?

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Just as I'd consume another human were it not for the stigma, I consume animals for the nutrition and, honestly, because meat tastes so damn good.

I do consider animals to be equal to humans. I'm always struggling to explain to people I know, or my roommates, why their behavior towards pets is wrong. They don't seem to realize that animals think and communicate differently. And you can't spank a cat to discipline him.

I have been a vegetarian many times, but at others factors such as recurrent anemia, money, or part of the country I live in has been a factor. Right now, I do not eat red meat, and I try to avoid eating any meat when at all possible. I feel badly that I eat chicken and turkey. It seems wrong.

I entirely, whole-heartedly hold animals as lesser, or at the very most to be almost equal, but not quite. I would more likely consider humans as animals (which sounds like I'm saying we're equals) than animals as humans. I think that animals are primitive, but even though humans are superior we can think and act primitive, too.

I don't think I ever in my life thought an animal was my equal. When I was a kid, if it were my pet, I was the boss. I can't understand the concept of holding animals as higher than humans, although I would like to. It is an interesting (however impractical) idea.

Asp-Z: Yes, humans are animals, but we are a class of animals. That doesn't make us equal; instead, we're more of a subcategory. Insects are animals, but definitely not our equals. All microorganisms are technically animals, too, but certainly not our friends as the anti-bacterial soap market proves.

There are non-edible animals?

Just wanted to add my voice to the poll, part of my "aspieness" is that i relate better to animals than people by a large margin

I have a thing about loyalty and people just cant compete with animals in my experience

Well... Not necessarily, but I am referring more or less to Dogs, Cats and Pigeons/Parrots - Our average housepets that no-one ever seems to eat (however, I hear dogs are a delicacy in certain countries). They're no different from Pigs, Cows and Fish yet we eat them. Henceforth, I am conformed to believe animals are a lesser species due to this as, if they weren't, they would've adapted to defend themselves from us.

But if we wanted to eat factory-grown humans, they would be just as easy to keep in slaughter cages as animals would.

Good point, but why don't we do so? Simple. I'm pretty sure there are various laws against it, yet there are few laws against slaughtering or hunting animals (assuming they aren't endangered). From this, I can conclude that Humans, due to their rather "special" treatment compared to the other animals, must be a "higher" species than animals. That is what we are conformed to believe.

If we are told "Here is Human Meat, here is a Pork chop." odds are we would all choose the pork. Same if it was Dog's leg or pork chop. Is there any real excuse for it other than Animal Bias? I doubt it. This reminds me of one History lesson where we were taught that, in the Renaissance, doctors boiled live puppies in scolding hot water until their fur came off. A few people felt that such a thing was barbaric and "disgusting", but is it any different than what we do to get our food? Sure, we drug them so they "feel no pain", but is the methodical intent of killing the live animal any less Evil, barbaric or "disgusting"? I say no.

Instead of denying the truth I, however, accept it. So, it's Evil. So, It's Barbaric. So, it's disgusting. It's life. For those very reasons, I consider animals a lesser species and consider animal protection groups, like PETA, worthless - as there is no way the whole world is going to go vegetarian and no point in being biased on a few "cute" animals because "we like them best".

I feel that people often signal distress, withiout truly wishing to be helped, in any way, shape, or form.

In that animals are more mechanistic, reflexive, they seem more genuine. They don't seem so capable of hiding their true emotions, under the shrill fronts, which people learn to unnerve us with.

I regret that my eating harms animals, perhaps, only because of the sensory commotion of factory slaughter.

At least, I bare no emotional attachment to carnivorism, whatsoever.

I have a large body, a fast metabolism, and veganism will absolutely not work, no matter how obsessively I may force feed myself plant proteins and healthy fats in bulk.

A body type, different that my own, may actually require a Vegan diet to stay healthy, but, in my case, the eating of meats was not known to be the cause of my condition.

We're aware of a specific teratogen, and there were obvious, genetic links.

I feel that the slander by PETA exemplifies false emotionality and am repulsed by any hype, whatsoever, most especially when images of harm and destruction are being rubbed in my face.

"Passive" resistance (sic) comes with a hidden history of masochistic provocateuring by self styled martyrs, commiting the logical fallacy of conflating willful self harm with the criminalty of the opposing, political view.

Being that I am systemic in my thinking, I can at least recognize the wanton harm of animals as a property crime, unlike some people, who will do almost anything to get themselves in trouble, on purpose.

Last edited by friedmacguffins on 11 Feb 2010, 1:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I hold children and animals above adults. They need to be protected.

To rephrase an old saying --
Kids have two ears, and adults have one mouth.

I so dont get the concept of why its ok to torture and eat one type of animal but not another so illogical

in NZ the news recently had someone proposing to farm our endangered national bird for eating "because no species that gets eaten ever dies out" - i think they completely forgot about the Moa bird that died out after the maori ate them to death, and the few hundred species in the world that have died out to make way for cow or sheep or goat farms

I havent eaten animals for over 20 years - and this darn silly humie body i'm stuck in does NOT have a requirement of meat to stay healthy - nor do any other humies - everything you need can be found in the plant kingdom....

Animals are so much cleverer than humies - how many humies do you know that can keep themselves alive in their local natural environment by foraging for free? How many humies can point to north from anywhere or find their way home by smell? Can they fly? swim?..... bah - most can barely manage to walk

Plants are even cleverer - they dont have to go anywhere to find their food - they make it from air, water and sun - they co-operate with animals providing food in exchange for pollination and seed distribution - they can even predict the weather for the coming year, and some of them do it so well they have massive lifespans....

Stoopid stoopid humies who randomly torture and kill and shyte all over their natural environment making huge areas of devastation are the bottom of the heap in my book - if you're really lucky you'll come back as a tree

Animals are people too, but they don't have the curse/gift of awareness to the same degree as we upright apes do, though various species approach the same levels in all important measures: elephants, dolphins, various parrots, ravens, chimps, gorillas, squids, and hillbillies.


Much as those of us who are better able to communicate and interact than those on the spectrum with more severe impairments should feel a sense of custodial benevolence towards them, we should feel the same way towards animals, and indeed any other forms of life we may eventually find or create.


Humans are overrated, I'd never willingly claim to be a member of that species, for I am a cat.

I swear animals that supposedly do not have the capacity to be self aware actualy are. My bearded dragon seems to know thats her in the mirror. She dosen't challange her reflection or even "wave" at it. She's like, "I know that's me. And yes, I am a pretty beardie." Anyone who says dogs are simply acting on instinct either has never owned one or is lying.

I used to feel as if I was born in the wrong body. I remember telling my parents something was wrong becuase I was supposed to be a cat. Not a humanoid with a tail and cat ears such as Avatar or the Island of Dr. Moreau or some so called "furry". I wanted to be a REAL cat. Perferably a modern seal-point Siamese.

It depends on the humans. A lot of humans are beneath animals in my eyes.

I have found, with a few exceptions, my cat, Diva to be a better friend than most humans I know. She does not judge me, stab me in the back, ignore me because I am unemployed, broke or whatever. She does not reject me because I have problems or I am not good looking enough. She is just happy to lay at me feet or sleep next to me
when I am sleeping. She is also happy to see me every time I walk through the door.