Animal vs human sympathy

[Danni79]

I get really upset when I read about animal cruelty but not so much when it relates to people, do you think there is something wrong with me, or does anyone else feel similar (be honest)? Don't get me wrong I am not cold and there have been some nasty murders/abuse stories that have made my heart ache but I find these really easy to forget whereas I tend to remember and not be able to shake the stories and images from animal abuse cases and its confusing me. Do you think maybe it is harder to relate to people you don't know than animals?? x ps - please don't persecute me for asking this, I honestly am being serious x

[mccfluff]

i'm exactly the same show me a picture of an animal being hurt and i'll end up in tears but although i feel sympathy if its a human being hurt i don't normally end up in tears, i have no idea why. I even cried in king kong when he got shot at the end - and i know its not real :)

[aka pixi]

I think I know what you mean Danni. It could be that it sticks in your mind because stories of animal cruelty are usually accompanied by horrific pictures whereas when it is a story about cruelty to another person pictures arent normally shown.

[Danni79]

thanks mccfluff I was a bit concerned about it, it only just really occured to me after I read about a man who left his dog locked in his house for 3 weeks it got so hungry and thirsty it started to scratch and eat the plaster off the walls...it had me in tears the rest of the news didn't make me flinch x

[Danni79]

I suppose thats true aka pixi x

[felinechums]

I'm with you Danni79 - I find animal suffering very hard to switch off in my mind. Like when you see terrible disasters happening, nobody pays much attention to the suffering of the animals. There are always plenty of people to rally round and help the humans, but who helps the animals?

[Maggie-Mae]

I get very upset over stories of abuse of children and animals but not so much over stories about trauma suffered adults, which although I do find upsetting, for some reason these dont play on my mind so much. I think it stems from the fact we feel we need to try and protect the ones that are unable to defend themselves, such as children and animals.

[mandie73]

i agree, animals are defenceless like children. the monsters who hurt them should be strung up!!!!

[alijangra]

Im exactly the same danni, cant bare to watch ads for rspca or that one about the caged bears. I dont know why but when I see news stories about cruelty to animals I also feel more strongly about them. Its probably on a par with how I feel about children being mistreated. They are all innocent and being violated/hurt by some sick individual it just seems worse somehow.

[sholay]

A couple of days ago a car comb went off in Iraq. On the news, they should the damage left behind and a fireman washing all the blood off the street. I can't remember how many innocent people died.

In the middle of all the carnage there was a donkey with his cart all destroyed just standing there in the blood with everyone running around him. After the report ended, I realised I hadn't heard a word, just been looking at the poor donkey wondering if he was hurt.

Strange what grabs your attention.

[undercovers]

I think it is a normal reaction - it is hard to accept the true spectrum of human suffering because the implications of what we see are too much for many to handle e.g. the pain of those hurt / killed, the family left behind, the anger and hatred felt by those that survive, the desire for revenge, the motives for the attack in the first place and what that all means for our supposedly civilised (or at least civilising) society etc. Whereas pain to animals fits neatly into a simple perspective of good (the animals) and bad (the people inflicting pain) without any need for trying to see a bigger picture or emphasis with the full spectrum of human suffering.

[undercovers]

sorry - change that last sentence to

... empathise with the full horror of human suffering

[Danni79]

Thanks guys, they are really great answers - at least now I can go a bit easier on myself :-) x x

[bobis]

hi, re your question with cruelty v people, my wife who has 2 ponies 1 dogs 1 cat and is responsible for another 3 dogs on a daily basis, well if anything and i mean anything ever happens to these animals my wife is in bits she would move heaven and earth just to make sure they were free from pain, please dont get me wrong as we have 2 wonderfull teenagers who are our lives but i do get gealous of my wifes feelings for these animals, however as she says there love is unconditional, ie (when i bring in a nice bottle of wine) get my meanining?. anyway the point i am trying to make is that animals have feeeling but are unable to tell you what is wrong whereas us (ME) humans have the choice and ability to let others know what is up/wrong, please keep on being the considerate person you are as any animal would be proud to have you as an owner/companion. all the best john.