Our Animal Natures

Seeing too much of ourselves in other animals might not be the problem we think it is. Underappreciating our own animal natures may be the greater limitation.
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My medical education included stern warnings against the tantalizing pull to anthropomorphize. In those days, noticing pain or sadness on the face of an animal was criticized as projection, fantasy, or sloppy sentimentality. But scientific advancements of the past two decades suggest that we should adopt an updated perspective. Seeing too much of ourselves in other animals might not be the problem we think it is. Underappreciating our own animal natures may be the greater limitation.

 

This weekend the New York Times featured an opinion piece on the medical similarities between Humans and our animal counter-parts. It’s a truly fascinating, enjoyable, and Animal-Architecturally pertinent  piece. Enjoy!

 

Ned spends most of his time wondering how our world can better support the lives within it. Musings fit for print end up here. He hopes you enjoy them.

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