If animals could talk

If animals could talk, they certainly wouldn’t say what humans think they would. Why would they? We’re all too eager to believe they think just like us, while simultaneously insisting that we’re different, better, even claiming we don’t merely act on instinct like animals. But is that true? In the first seconds of meeting someone, our instinct tells us whether we like them or can’t stand them, and even though we pretend otherwise, acting polite, pretending not to judge, we do it anyway, unashamedly.
If animals could talk, they’d undoubtedly say things we couldn’t understand—or perhaps wouldn’t appreciate. How many more animals would we shoot or kick out onto the streets if they all started spouting intelligible language? What if the bird wasn’t singing cheerfully but warning the others about the human coming to ruin everything? What if the loyal dog said outright that it despises its owner and can’t stand the food in its bowl? What if the cat we assume adores us actually can’t stand us, prefers the neighbours, and only acts "nice" because it wants you to open the door? What if the horse would rather give you a kick up the backside and refuses to carry that bloody weight on its back?

What is it that makes us believe animals think like humans, or experience the world the way we so fondly depict in fables? Why do we even use animals to tell stories? Is it because it’s safer than using real people as examples?

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#freewrite #animals #thoughts #steemexclusive_}