You're on the internet, anyone here might not be human
this post was submitted on 26 Jan 2025
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Showerthoughts
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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted, clever little truths, hidden in daily life.
Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts: 1
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The next stage of evolution:
Animal -> Human -> Porn Bot -> ???
Speak for yourself. I'm a filthy mo fo
If this definition sits well with you, you're probably theist.
Emm... Could you elaborate, please? 😅
If something a person created is unnatural then it must be produced by something other than nature. How are we not a part of the natural world?
But we are nature, part of it, therefore everything we do is natural too, I totally convince of it. My problem is that some of us act like we were something apart from nature, above even.
That's my point. The way we use the words natural and unnatural are not congruent with their definition.
We don't pretend we are not animals. We pretend we are the ONLY animals, and all others are merely objects.
Uhhh I would strongly disagree with that being a mainstream belief
Do you consume non-human animals? Then you are probably psychologically dependent on ignoring all the ways they are the same as we are. You probably believe there are lots of things that distinguish us, as long as you never think too closely about it, that make it morally permissible or even morally encouraged to exploit their bodies and pretend that they don't have a mind fundamentally like yours.
Being an animal means having animus. But we act as though we are the only creature having it; the only with interests, with thoughts and feelings, with desires and goals, that uses reason, that struggles with everything within us to live.
Do you actually have anything to say beyond, "I disagree", or are you (like most carnists) just psychologically required to obstruct your own inconvenient thoughts whenever they arise?
The Apex Animal, the Uber-animal, the Sigma Animal 🗿
I am? [farts]
Would an animal fart like that?
I love people who are like "we need to return to nature!"
Like, I get the sentiment and we should definitely try to coexist with the rest of the animals since were smart enough to, but i think its important to remember that we are nature. We cannot separate ourselves from it. Even skyscrapers are natural. Just ask a termite.
Yup. Pollution is natural. It's not about what's natural, but what keeps our environment in a state where we can thrive.
You're so damn right! We can't pull us apart of nature and neither everything we do!
This is called speciesism, the believe that your live is worth more/you are better simply because of your species.
Speciesism is a great word and it uses all of the tools of our language in a way that makes sense.
But someone decided at some point we should call this "Anthropocentrism" instead
We are above animals though, humans were able to conquer the earth, light it up, send its people beyond it, create complex language and more whilst animals can’t really do any of that
You're not wrong but I think you're missing the point. The point is that a lot of people believe that everything that makes Earth has an intrinsic value in and of itself. That doesn't mean that us as humans as part of the earth can't capture some of that value and put it to our own efforts. It does mean that we should have respect for the living and non-living things that make up our planet and can't take everything. Just because Dolphin's didn't invent the light bulb doesn't mean they don't have their own value to themselves. It just means that we don't understand it.
Oh yeah I didn’t mean it as in because we are superior we should step over all of the living beings on the earth. They might not have the same mental capability as us but I do agree that they can feel and do serve a purpose on the earth alongsides us.
animals literally did that. we are those animals.
But only one specific species of animals did that. Most animals are incapable of doing that, which is why we are superior
Hey bud? Octupi are developed enough to maintain neighborhood communities, and they managed to avoid inventing money, taxes, and HoAs. They're also not actively destroying the planet.
Let's not pretend like anything we are doing has an inherent good to it. Animal societies looking different to ours doesn't make them inferior to ours. What humanity has wrought is nothing to brag about.
Can you do any of that?
That's a stupid question. As a collective, humanity is able to accomplish all these things.
I could with enough motivation yeah
So no, you can't. Guess you aren't human, just an animal huh?
How can I not though? Every human is capable of doing these things. What makes us better than animals is that we can cooperate on much grander things that extend beyond death
The problem is saying that what we're capable of makes us "better" and "superior." Says who? That "superiority" will probably also be what kills us off.
In my opinion, our mental capability does make us better as we are able to adapt and innovate much faster than regular animals would, which can get us out of awful situations.
Yes, we are very adaptable, which has allowed us to spread over pretty much the whole world and shape it to our needs. However, we also are destroying the ecosystem that keeps us alive, which is getting us into an awful situation entirely of our own making.
We can and are doing terrible things, that I do agree with. But we can also do many great things. The fact that we can do so much as a species does, from my point of view, make us superior.
If you're belief is that any human is capable of these things but not yet educated, how do you humans are the only ones that can be taught?
Because humans have studied the brains of other creatures and from what we know, it is unlikely that any other species can do so.
Care to cite these studies claiming human brains are intrinsically superior? The primary difference among mammals is the size and fold density. Koalas are famously smooth-brained, but other animals have greater memory and reasoning capability with larger, deeper folds. What they lack is language. Humans developed superior vocal cords, allowing great variation in speech patterns that jump started written language and, by effect, written history. Have you not seen the videos and reports of the incredible communication and logical capabilities of other animals such as dogs learning 300 commands and using 40+ speech buttons? Have you not heard the tales of octopus escape artists defeating locks?
Survival is what your parents and local community can teach you. But innovation and invention? You are the product of thousands of years of written language passing on more information than any single person could remember and more then any single community could develop on its own. The biggest brain in the world would sound like an idiot without language. We are not above animals, we just talk like we are.
Wouldn’t that still mean that we are superior? We are capable of understanding and exchanging between each other complex ideas which animals cannot do using their basic language . Sure they can do some impressive tasks, but is it really equal to the human mind which can innovate and invent using experiences of those who came before to build something new. As for the studies I will be honest and say that I have heard of them before but wasn’t 100% sure if they were true or real
I don't believe you are capable of any of the examples you mentioned.
Why?
Because you haven't demonstrated any of it.
How does that mean I’m incapable of learning how to do it?
So now you are moving the goalpost. Instead of "being able to" like in your original comment it is now "being able to learn to". Which I also don't believe you for the same reason.
I can do it as in my brain can gain the information required for me to do it. I didn’t mean it as in I have the ability to do it right now, but that I CAN do it if I had to
Sure you can.
Ok?
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