We Are All Animals!

We Are All Animals!

Humans, as a whole, like to think that they are one step above every other species on the planet.  Or many more steps than that to be honest.  And that just isn’t true.  We are animals, like frogs, dogs, cats, bats and the millions of other creatures that exist on this planet.

For my first point, all animals in the animal kingdom are prone to deception.  I was discussing this point with my mate yesterday.  Our daughter is in the stage of life, where she has figured out that lying may get her out of trouble or it may get her what she wants.  Much to our benefit, she is bad at lying, so it easy to catch her and keep her accountable for her behavior and decisions.  This stage of life is true of all children, and I very much believe that it is up to the parents to instill, honesty and accountability, so that there are not a bunch of lying ass adults running around in 10-20 years.

Another example of animal dishonesty is the Cuckoo Bird.  They are brood parasites.  They find another bird’s nest, full of eggs and lays its own egg in it.  So that when the nests owner returns it hatches its own eggs and the cuckoo’s egg.  When the Cuckoo egg hatches, the bird is usually significantly larger and taking up all of the resources from the other baby birds, who actually belong in the nest.

There are other bird species, where the female will accept a slew of gifts, during mating season, from male birds that she already knows, has absolutely no chance.  But why not get free food from everyone and mate with the only stud bird flying around.

Lions and other predators have to creep, sneakily, to ambush warthogs or gazelles or any other prey animals.

And prey animals will alert other prey animals to the activity of predators, infringing on another common rule of life, which is to mind one’s own business.

The point that I am finally coming around to is that unfortunately dishonesty and deception is just par for the course for us Earthlings, but fighting against that, is the one thing that makes humans stand out from the rest of the animal kingdom.  It doesn’t make us better, but it does put us in a place where it does not have to be a dog eat dog world.

Follow the golden rule! (Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you; for those of you who don’t know it.

Be honest.  Be accountable.  Set the example for those around you and may your nest be filled with all of your own eggs in return.