Why do I have empathy for every living thing but monkeys?

Post Reply New Topic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29ilK1ZaOwc

I'll tell him you said that

My mother and I once saw some marmosets at a zoo. We thought they were really cute. But they're a bit less monkey-like than most other monkeys. Almost more like a squirrel.

I wouldn't say I hate them but they are perhaps amongst the least interesting living things on the planet for me. Maybe it's because of their close relationship to us or maybe it is because I tend to be attracted to organisms that are perhaps not the star attractions of the natural world. I certainly have more empathy for sea anemones than I do for apes.

Maybe it's because of ebola?

Of course, all kinds of animals can carry deadly diseases that can be transmitted to humans, like rabies, but animals can be vaccinated against rabies, and thanks to all the media hype and scaremongering about ebola people are more terrified of it than they really should be.

Why do I love all animals but humans?

Because human beings are horrible. Well, most of them are, anyway.

They can be dangerous and violent, and as mentioned you might have a gut "uncanny valley" feeling because of their similarity to humans. That's why my fiance dislikes apes despite loving animals, and why I've become more uncomfy with them over time. (I was never a huge animal lover though, except a few key species I obsessed over. Penguins, anyone?)

Lol what have monkeys done to you?

Maybe it's just because you dislike them so much, I don't see any real problem with this. Us humans don't often come into contact with monkeys anyway I think, other than seeing them in zoos.

I think it might also be that apes look stupid. I know they aren't stupid, they are very intelligent in their own way, and there are other creatures on this planet that are less intelligent than apes, but to me they just LOOK stupid. I don't know how to explain it.

A baby chimp or ape or whatever you want to call them are too much like human children. Some baby chimps are dressed in human baby clothes, and while they may look cute, it just doesn't feel right.

It's definitely an uncanny valley feeling.

"Dr Zaius , Dr Zaius......Ill never make a monkey out of you !" (quote Simpsons)

Not long ago on YouTube I saw a really creepy anti-heroine PSA that was from the 70's. It shows one of those cymbal-playing toy monkeys while what sounds like a a kid's voice says: "They say people addicted to heroine have a monkey on their back. Isn't that cute?", and then suddenly they zoom in onto the face of a real monkey making a horrific screeching sound.

I think that could have seriously made some kids get a phobia of monkeys instead of teaching them not to take heroine because it's a dangerous drug that can kill you.