Needs

Man has a strong tendency to impose his own needs and desires for comfort and happiness upon the animals he has domesticated. What is good for man, is frequently seen as good for beast. Part of this reasoning is based upon the phenomenon known as anthropomorphism, the attribution of human characteristics or behaviour to a god, animal, or object. Certain activities displayed by an animal are interpreted as indicative of human-like desires or needs associated with a similar human behaviour. But this is often not the case. Some behaviours are simply instinctive and associated with the natural actions of the animal in question – but without any relation to similar human behaviour; some behaviours are induced by an imposed regime or by routine. And some behaviours are the result of addiction… If we were to reverse the situation, imposing the actions of another animal onto man, we would soon encounter resistance and possible health issues both mental and physical; and yet, somehow, man considers he is wiser. To loosely quote from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: “Man considered himself superior to the dolphins because he had built civilizations, fought wars, split the atom etc… while all the dolphins had done was to muck about in the water. The dolphins considered that they were superior for exactly the same reason.”