Animals

[qcrisp]

Has anyone read this?:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...-being-a-beast

It looks interesting.

I noticed that the author gave an interesting response to someone who reviewed another of his books unfavourably at Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/sho..._review_page=1

Quote Originally Posted by qcrisp

Has anyone read this?: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...-being-a-beast It looks interesting. I noticed that the author gave an interesting response to someone who reviewed another of his books unfavourably at Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/sho..._review_page=1

The author shows far too much patience with this creatard. That, in itself, is one society's biggest problems. They need to be ridiculed out of existence.

[Ucasuni]

Re: Being a Beast — the book description strikes me as incredibly foolish. The fact that the description is of him as "liv[ing] life as a badger, [etc]" is an immediate red flag. He didn't live life as a badger. No matter where and how he lay down to sleep, no matter what he hunted and ate, he did it all as man. No matter how restrictive the guidelines he set for himself, he thought as a man and acted as a man. He has no more insight into life as a badger than he would have had into the life of a condor had he taken a running jump off a cliff with his arms open wide. Maybe that's the last chapter, but I'll certainly never know.

re: the review response, I have to say I'm with FP on this one. Ignoring for a moment the absurdity of trying to reconcile science with the supernatural (as the book appears to be attempting), engaging a deaf man in conversation profits you nothing.

NB: In the preceding, I'm not taking a position on truth or untruth of science as a way of viewing the world. I'm just saying that, by definition, any scientific conversation excludes the supernatural from the discussion. (see NATURAL science)

[qcrisp]

Quote Originally Posted by Forgotten Prisoner

Quote Originally Posted by qcrisp Has anyone read this?: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...-being-a-beast It looks interesting. I noticed that the author gave an interesting response to someone who reviewed another of his books unfavourably at Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/sho..._review_page=1 The author shows far too much patience with this creatard. That, in itself, is one society's biggest problems. They need to be ridiculed out of existence.

I can't claim to be as patient as the author, myself, but patience seems so rare online (and I know how difficult it is), that I can't help admiring it. I also don't think that ridiculing people causes them to cease to exist, though we might wish it did. For reference:

Why You Cant Win Arguments Online - YouTube

Edit: I'm not presenting that video as an infallible source, or even something I agree with entirely. It does point out some reasons (which I don't think are absolute) why it's very hard to argue with people constructively online. Given that fact, I think patience or silence are preferable to ridicule, though the latter might, like junk food, be hard to resist sometimes.

[Robert Adam Gilmour]

When someone in an argument is polite and encouraging, it often has a disarming effect on the opponent. People might not change their mind in this situation, but there's definitely less at stake if you admit you are or might be wrong. I've seen so many people backpedal in this situation.
Generosity is a very underrated arguing tactic I think.

Does ridicule ever work? I doubt it ever works much and when it seems to work it might have long term negative consequences of people separating and not listening to different opinions. There is a lot of speculation that ridicule has actually empowered more extreme politicians because ridicule strengthens the supporters convictions that they are being attacked by horrible people.

There's a lot of fear that giving controversial people a platform to speak on will help support them. So lots of people try to stop them speaking at all. Another tactic has been ridiculing them during or after their speech. I think this often plays into a narrative that the speaker is a poor victim.

[Revenant]

The only proof I need that there is nothing "mere" about animals?

The dog lying next to me right now.

Cheers.

[qcrisp]

Bees good at maths, apparently:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...nding-problems

Quote Originally Posted by Revenant

The only proof I need that there is nothing "mere" about animals? The dog lying next to me right now. Cheers.

I had an experience like that late last week. One takes one's cat for granted at one's peril... I decided to change her brand of food on Monday. She complained through Wednesday, left on Thursday (and this is a lifelong indoor cat at 4 years old, never been outdoors), and blithely showed up again Saturday with a smug look at the back door.... I was beside myself for three days..

[qcrisp]

I love binturongs:

YouTube

The more I contemplate them, the more I feel myself inclined towards some kind of animism.

Nibbled to death by an okapi...

Amazing Facts About The Okapi - YouTube