Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I find baby animals to provoke a more intense viceral 'cuteness' reaction than human babies.
That said, I recognize the intrinsic "worth" of the human. In other words, if a puppy and a baby fell in the water, I'd save the baby first no matter how uninspiring it may be in terms of cuteness.
I do think a big part of the difference is that the knowledge that any baby that is not my own progeny is already being looked after (not my responsibility), whereas every puppy and kitten in the world is a helpless orphan in my mind.
Yeah right. It's so rewarding parents complain endlessly about how hard it is, financially draining it is, and how difficult it is for them emotionally, physically, and mentally. Because that's what I hear from parents all the time: endless complaints. "Susie is sick again with X, Y, and Z. Johnny's school tuition went up 20% this year. I'm concerned about the friends Braden is running around with. I had to switch Stephen from soccer to karate because I couldn't coordinate the drop-off times. I can't go out with you because I can't get a babysitter. I've banned Samantha from dating that slimeball Jeffrey. I missed work today and (Mr. Childless employee) had to cover me because of my child's illness." On and on, ad infinitum.
If parenting is rewarding for you, fantastic. But everyone makes their own life choices, and don't presume to speak for nonparents about what we find fulfilling in our lives, or that not being a parent is abnormal. There are many life paths in which to choose. Believe it or not, parents are not superior to nonparents; they just chose to have kids.
I never cared for kids until I had my own. To this day I pay no attention to other children. I think a lot of dog lovers are childless and probably have no interest in children. I had no interest in children until I had a family.
BTW, my kids grew up and had kids of their own. Now that I am older I have a HUGE wonderful family.
Not wanting kids is abnormal in an evolutionary sense. It means your DNA does not move forward to the next generation. If you had remarkable genes they are lost forever. If your genes are average then no big deal. But we are where we are as humans because we wanted to leave DNA behind.
And the terrible wolf evolved to that lovely puppy you like because those canines that befriended humans where able to pass their DNA.
You rant about how hard it is to raise children is acceptable. Not everybody is suited to be a parent. And those that cannot do it should probably go childless.
I do think a big part of the difference is that the knowledge that any baby that is not my own progeny is already being looked after (not my responsibility), whereas every puppy and kitten in the world is a helpless orphan in my mind.
If one day you are able to have a child of your own you will change your outlook.
Infants do nothing for me. Babies start looking cute at about 6 months. Before that, I prefer the appearance of a puppy. I'm not an infant loving person.
I am not a baby person but I do love to hear the laughter of children. There is such joy and innocence in them that is hard for me to resist.
That being said I do not ooh and ah over them. I just don't think babies are cute…but puppies and other animal babies are adorable….well except for turkeys, lol.
I also prefer dogs to most adults, lol.
I'll ALWAYS take kids and dogs over the majority of adults, if given the choice.
Infants do nothing for me. Babies start looking cute at about 6 months. Before that, I prefer the appearance of a puppy. I'm not an infant loving person.
Me too! I'm actually afraid to hold them even at that age, but I don't feel that awkward around animals as I do infants. I agree I never found newborns attractive, but that actually extends to animals...it's just animals grow and get cuter faster.I never really held my little nieces and nephews until they were more "hardy" lol and had more personality developing. I am the fun one that gets down on the floor and plays with them all the time though once they get to toddler age and up.
Again for some posters who are arguing about which is more "rewarding" I don't think anyone would argue that, nor is the thread about that. It's about that initial, visceral, feeling. There is a chemical reaction that takes place when certain receptors are stimulated, that chemical reaction causes that warm, gooey feeling and heart beat to pick up....in some of us those receptors are stimulated by baby animals, in others by human babies. It is born into us and NOT conscious nor is it a statement on which we "like better" or think is more valuable.
My attraction to stuffed animals over baby dolls when I was 4 was not something I deliberately chose, based on rational thought...those stuffed animals just provided that stimulation and immediate attraction, where the doll didn't...that's the one I would have grabbed for instinctively even at 6 months old.
Also dogs evolved to be liked by humans so they (the dogs) could pass their DNA more effectively.
Evolution doesn't work that way, nor dose domestication. Dogs 30000 years ago didn't have a complex thought process about how to further their genetics. Humans breed the most friendlies dogs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia...icated_Red_Fox
Quote:
Originally Posted by Julian658
To prefer a dog over a human baby is out of the norm.
The norm is a majority. The majority of people prefer to have a dog, cat, etc. over a baby, so your not the norm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Julian658
Not wanting kids is abnormal in an evolutionary sense. It means your DNA does not move forward to the next generation. If you had remarkable genes they are lost forever. If your genes are average then no big deal. But we are where we are as humans because we wanted to leave DNA behind.
That isn't how evolution works. The drive for the individual creature is survival and mating. It is just that simple. That is what our brains and hormones are geared to. We want our young to survive, but from an evolutionary stance, we don't care about our DNA and great grand kids. That is advance thinking, one thing I don't think dogs think about.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Julian658
And the terrible wolf evolved to that lovely puppy you like because those canines that befriended humans where able to pass their DNA.
Selective Breading and usefulness.
I would like to clarify that having a puppy is much more of a choice than having a child. That and many children are keep for financial purposes. Meaning not everyone that has one, really wants or wanted one. This is very evident in many places.
Evolution doesn't work that way, nor dose domestication. Dogs 30000 years ago didn't have a complex thought process about how to further their genetics. Humans breed the most friendlies dogs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia...icated_Red_Fox
Sure, it is not a conscious decision, but there are implications based on that decision.
Quote:
The norm is a majority. The majority of people prefer to have a dog, cat, etc. over a baby, so your not the norm.
Up to this point the world population has gone up. For the world population to go up a couple needs to make 2.3 babies. So up until today the norm has to be having children. If the norma was not to have children then the human race would become extinct.
Quote:
That isn't how evolution works. The drive for the individual creature is survival and mating. It is just that simple. That is what our brains and hormones are geared to. We want our young to survive, but from an evolutionary stance, we don't care about our DNA and great grand kids. That is advance thinking, one thing I don't think dogs think about.
You are correct, but you fail to see why sex FEELS so good. It is a trick of nature to spread DNA.
Me too! I'm actually afraid to hold them even at that age, but I don't feel that awkward around animals as I do infants. I agree I never found newborns attractive, but that actually extends to animals...it's just animals grow and get cuter faster.I never really held my little nieces and nephews until they were more "hardy" lol and had more personality developing. I am the fun one that gets down on the floor and plays with them all the time though once they get to toddler age and up.
Again for some posters who are arguing about which is more "rewarding" I don't think anyone would argue that, nor is the thread about that. It's about that initial, visceral, feeling. There is a chemical reaction that takes place when certain receptors are stimulated, that chemical reaction causes that warm, gooey feeling and heart beat to pick up....in some of us those receptors are stimulated by baby animals, in others by human babies. It is born into us and NOT conscious nor is it a statement on which we "like better" or think is more valuable.
My attraction to stuffed animals over baby dolls when I was 4 was not something I deliberately chose, based on rational thought...those stuffed animals just provided that stimulation and immediate attraction, where the doll didn't...that's the one I would have grabbed for instinctively even at 6 months old.
I know people that sleep with dogs in their bed. I could never do that because I feel it is unsanitary. So you are correct, it is about personal preference. For example one poster in this thread prefers dog poop over baby poop.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
