The Animal Kingdom and Mortality

[g0pher]

Human beings run the gamut if IQ but regardless, those of lesser IQ to a point are aware of their mortality albeit in a far different sense than a human with a high IQ. All of this to underscore the relative difference in degrees of intelligence in the animal kingdom.

Do dolphins know that they will die?

Do chimps?
What about cats?
If any of them can understand the abstract and complex concept of death, i wonder how they reconcile with the fact.

We all know how humans do it; religion, compartmentalization (i.e.denial), drugs and alcohol, work, busyness.

Another point is that for example a cat does not understand it's own mortality; for all practical purposes, the cat is immortal

[bkadoctaj]

Originally Posted by g0pher

Human beings run the gamut if IQ but regardless, those of lesser IQ to a point are aware of their mortality albeit in a far different sense than a human with a high IQ. All of this to underscore the relative difference in degrees of intelligence in the animal kingdom.

Do dolphins know that they will die?

Do chimps?
What about cats?
If any of them can understand the abstract and complex concept of death, i wonder how they reconcile with the fact.

We all know how humans do it; religion, compartmentalization (i.e.denial), drugs and alcohol, work, busyness.

Another point is that for example a cat does not understand it's own mortality; for all practical purposes, the cat is immortal

I wonder what humans would score on a cat's IQ scale.

[g0pher]

Its a wonder...

[My Fax]

Personally, I don't think their brains can comprehend the idea of death.


If they did, I think that would hurt their chances of survival.


You can't be afraid in the wild, it's a kill or be killed world.

[b4u2d0]

dude get out of here with that that rediculious! ahahha i meen i looked at u pic and it looked like u where thinking as u took the pic im lmao

[pavlakos]

Originally Posted by My Fax

Personally, I don't think their brains can comprehend the idea of death.


If they did, I think that would hurt their chances of survival.


You can't be afraid in the wild, it's a kill or be killed world.

what do you suppose a smaller animal approaching a lion is worried about? if its a young animal and has never seen another getting killed it may not understand its own mortality, but animals who know what happens sure do. or could it be that no consious being is 'mortal'? only the body?

EDIT: OP, are you so sure you are mortal, let alone the cat?

[limbick]

i think the difference is that people know how to live in fear, animals do not. ever watched the nature shows that follow lions? prey animals only run when they know they are in direct danger. they graze even when they know they are being watched, they just don't do anything until the attack is on...

in fact, the only time i've seen animals that looked traumatized were animals that had negative interactions with people...

Originally Posted by bkadoctaj

I wonder what humans would score on a cat's IQ scale.

we would score meow.

[pavlakos]

animals know HOW to live in fear, but they are only afraid, like you said, when in direct danger. what im saying is that you cant have fear without love, bad without good, light without dark. so they have to have both emotions. probably not to the extent we do but....

[skittlette]

elephants have a concept of death and even mourn when a family member dies and revisit grave sites to pay respect by gently touching any remains *usually bones by this time* and stop for a small bit to relax with the dead

[Medicine Al]

Dolphins are smart, they taught these guys how to play guitar, apparently.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyXlEAarL9s

But seriously, I think fear is based on survival instincts that transcend special differences. I think fear of death is universal among multi-celled creatures. To be combinant is to be vulnerable, and complexity has its price.

Fear is not the opposite of love, fear is the absence of well being, the opposite of arrogance.

Fear of death is the primordial ooze in the evolution of man, the basis for all our actions. Only recently have we begun to cultivate new methods for our own demise, courtesy of our militaristic arrogance, most notably the late 19th, 20th and 21st century. Up until then, we were satisfied with killing one man at a time. Now we dream of wiping out enemies that don't even exist, with weapons that kill everyone regardless of guilt, and aren't even humanly accountable. See Predator Drone attacks in Pakistan, if you disbelieve me.

All animals feared man instinctually, until we won their confidence.