Animals Teach Us To Be Human

We often hear about the humanization of animals, that is, the tendency to confer human prerogatives on non-human beings. However, today we want to offer you an experiment:  try to think about the reverse process and ask yourself: “What if animals were making us human?”.

When we use the expression “humanity” we are referring first of all to “mankind” as a species, but also to all the characters and qualities of people. So much so that when we use this term we think of the feeling of solidarity, understanding and empathy. However, not infrequently it is animals, and not humans, who have such behaviors and we could learn from them to live together and be better every day.

How can we learn from animals?

Potentially, as social animals, in constant dialogue with others, people could learn from animals. And no doubt animals would have a lot to teach us about how to live in peace. Think that in nature everything comes down to symbiotic relationships between species.

Animals can experience a multitude of emotions and develop complex social relationships through which they take care of themselves and others.

The analysis of the emotional life of animals has shown that they are capable of feeling deep feelings. Not only that,  animals that live in complex social groups, such as cats or dogs, even come to relate these emotions with objects, animals or people.

Here are some things animals can teach us about our humanity:

Focus on the important things

Anyone who has a pet knows how pleasant it can be to come home after a long day of work, and be welcomed with irrepressible affection and joy. Even if your dog is tired, because he has played a lot or because he has just returned from a long walk, he will still have a party because you are the most important thing on Earth to him. 

Carpe Diem

By nature, animals live in the moment.  Only humans think about the past or the future. How many times have you happened not to think about the present because you are distracted by reflections on things that have happened or on future projects? If we learn to live in the present from animals, we may be able to fully enjoy the moment.

Enjoy the senses

Animals are always alert and with their senses always active. Animals react quickly to stimuli from the outside world, they rely on their instincts. Instead, the human being sets aside the signals that instinct transmits to him. Being rational at the expense of instinct makes us lose an important part of life. If we were able to rely on the senses and indulge instinct, we could open ourselves to new experiences. 

Communicate beyond words

Verbal language is undoubtedly one of the main distinguishing features of the human being. We always use words to express our moods, forgetting that there are many other forms of externalizing our inner world. Let’s think about the tone of the voice, the facial expressions, the postures, the movements, these are other channels for communicating emotions and intentions and which are often much more sincere than words.

The frenetic pace of modern life pushes us to fill every free moment with activities of all kinds and with chores to be done as soon as possible. If we stopped to observe our cats and our dogs, but also the animals in the zoo or a hawk in the sky, we would realize that we too need a moment of peace to rest and relax.

The importance of the game

During the day, when you are overwhelmed by the stress and pressure of work or home, give yourself a moment of distraction, you deserve it! Even just a few minutes, to release the accumulated tension and to put aside the worries that grip you. In nature, all animals play. It is their way of interacting and learning about the world. We have to learn from them.