tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6351306725040869389.post595157857710133586..comments2023-10-29T06:39:53.777-07:00Comments on Stifyn Emrys: Hunting for a Reason to Kill BambiAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11125677714330767458noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6351306725040869389.post-72358821914132558872013-02-22T00:17:18.025-08:002013-02-22T00:17:18.025-08:00I agree. Here is my attempt at explanation of thi...I agree. Here is my attempt at explanation of this phenomenon:<br /><br />Like it or not, humans are animals. Our behavior is mostly different from other animals given our intelligence, but we still have strong natural drives. Some of them are never tolerated--killing a mating rival, mating without consent, stealing; these are all animal drives that we are expected to and for the most part as a species are able to quell for the sake of a working society. Those drives that do not lead to antisocial (within our own species) behavior may still be frowned upon as we are supposed to be above them, but they're still there, stronger in some individuals than in others, just like it is with any other animal. I knew a cat who'd watch a mouse sit in his food dish and the thought of killing it would never occur to him. I know a plump cat who kills seemingly for pleasure as it is clear she is not starving. If something as carnivorous as a cat can have such a drastic variation in prey drive that may or may not even be related to need, imagine how it is for a species that is omnivorous and tends to channel the prey drive that wild omnivores have into other sorts of hunting/gathering activities such as financial pursuits! The so-called "thrill of the hunt" is no different from the arousal response of a hunting beast, a mechanism made to increase chances of success and survival. We don't like to remember that the human animal is an animal, which is why we lie and incorporate wild animal behavior into rituals of various sorts or make up other excuses for them. As a species we like to be above the very idea of having animal urges, so we do our best to bury or disguise them, but they are still there. What distinguishes us from many animals (I won't say all, because there are other species that do practice restraint as a survival mechanism) is the choice to deny our wild urges.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com