Do animal lovers love human beings?

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   jainismusposted 12 years ago

   Just a curiosity. Do animal lovers love human beings?

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      Pearldiverposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yes a somewhat curiously strange question... I thought

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      Woody Marxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I think it is actually a hard question to answer. It is known that Hitler had dogs like German Shepherds, and we all know what he thought of 'some' humans (those he classified as sub-human) and also persons who live on their own out of choice, often have at least a cat or many of them or a dog or many of them. 
      
      I know that there are lots of people-lovers who also love animals. So that is a fact.
      
      But loving an animal does not necessarily mean you love human beings.
      
      Here endeth my opinion.

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         aznpanda206posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         i agree with your "But loving an animal does not necessarily mean you love human beings."

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      Sarra Garrettposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Talking for myself, I would have to say not necessarily.  Personally, I love and trust my dogs more than any person on the face of the earth.  My dogs don't argue, they don't hurt me (physically or emotionally)they are always happy to see me and I am relaxed when I am with them.  They also will protect me, of this I am positive.
      
      On the other hand, people can be mean, hurtful, spiteful and extremely unpredictable.  Gee, guess you can tell I've been hurt by more people than animals.  People kill people for greed, animals kill animals to eat.  It is human nature to be mean and suspicious of others.  Animals are trusting of their human companions and are always there for you whether it's a big furry head on your shoulder to comfort you or a sloppy wet kiss to say I love you.
      
      Sarra

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      mistyhorizon2003posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Lost as to the connection! It isn't an 'either, or' scenario. Why wouldn't an animal lover love humans? If you had phrased the question with the word 'more' at the end you might have had a question that got loads of responses (possibly), but I just don't understand the question phrased as it is because it implies animal lovers might not love humans (or even vice versa).

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   Lucky Catsposted 12 years ago

   Yes, jainismus, I believe we do...in a BIG way.  Good question~!  It'll be interesting to see who feels 'what' about this question.  I sure hope there is no doubt that it is true...we love people, too!

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   buddhaanalysisposted 12 years ago

   may be!!

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4. 81

   JayeWisdomposted 12 years ago

   Your question is much too generalized to answer properly. Loving animals doesn't preclude loving humans, just as loving humans doesn't preclude loving animals. A well-rounded person has room in his or her life, as well as love in his or her heart, for both humans and animals.
   
   I once heard someone make the statement, "I like my dog more than I like people, and I trust my dog more than I trust any human." I don't think he truly meant it, but was angered at that moment about something unkind another person had done to him.
   
   Dogs, of course, are loyal regardless of what their master (human) is like. Pets don't think of the future, so they don't plan, whereas humans do, and whatever they plan might hurt you.
   
   As you see, you can go round and round trying to answer this question without actually answering it.

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5. 88

   cheryloneposted 12 years ago

   Absolutely, at least I do.  I have known a few who didn't want to have anything to do with human beings, but, well, you know how that goes...

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   ecoethicalveganposted 12 years ago

   I have to prequalify my post as speaking 'generally' as the question you asked is a little 'open ended'
   
   I'm vegan, so I guess I 'love' animals enough not to eat them, I wouldn't say I 'love' 'human beings' because some of them are really nasty.
   
   There are some incredibly amazing human beings that I respect for what they do, for instance, mums & dads that take care of their kids responsibly, people that volunteer to help 'animals' & humans, soldiers, etc.
   
   A direct answer to your question would be, I 'love' humans more than I do animals.
   
   Thanx for asking that question

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   icountthetimesposted 12 years ago

   I'm not sure that I understaand the question really. I don't think people have a finite amount of love to give and as such I certainly see it as being possible to care deeply about animals, but not to the detriment of how we treat our fellow man. Perhaps you're touching on the point that humans often destroy the environment of animals, and as such to truly love animals, there would need to be something of a dislike for certain aspects of mankind? There may be some truth to that, but many people care deeply about animals, so it's hard to generalise.

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8. 77

   psycheskinnerposted 12 years ago

   I can't be bothered pulling the studies right now, but attitudinal surveys show that those more compassionate to animals are also more compassionate to people--it is a positive correlation.

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      icountthetimesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      This doesn't surprise me really. If you can put yourself in the place of an animals, i would think that you can do the same with a person.

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         Sarra Garrettposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I think it really comes down to how you have been treated in the past.  No, not all people are bad.  I love the elderly more than today's teenagers, thats for sure. I will go out of my way to help someone in need, or stop at a vehicle accident - I've always done that.  I even raised a 6 year old boy for 7 years as he was living on the street.  Am I getting compassion mixed up with love? or is compassion love?

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      mistyhorizon2003posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      +1

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   Home Girlposted 12 years ago

   In my experience - No!

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10. 0

    Emily Sparksposted 12 years ago

    I would say yes.  I am an animal lover, but I also have lots of people that I love!

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    SanXuaryposted 12 years ago

    I get the question, there are definitely some people who consider there pets as more important then people. I became a Vegan for health reasons but meeting some Vegans its a false religion, a way to control others or just a means to be different and of course the poor, poor animals. They all have their points but people are more important then animals. I am waiting for the first person to die to try and rescue some animal in distress, especially one that eats him.

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       mistyhorizon2003posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Are you kidding? Actually loads of people have died trying to rescue animals in distress, (think rescuing pet dogs that have fallen through ice in rivers or lakes,  people running into burning buildings to get their pets back etc etc).
       
       Watch 'Untamed and Uncut' on Sky if you want to see loads of cases of wild and dangerous animals being rescued by humans putting their own lives at risk in the process. All filmed footage (and those shown are only the ones with happy endings!!)

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12. 60

    Night Magicposted 12 years ago

    Animals love unconditionally unlike a lot of people.  I think a lot of animal lovers are closer to their pets than most people.  Animals are therapeutic.  More & more nursing homes are bringing in animals to visit with the people that live there.

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       mistyhorizon2003posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       And this is a great thing. I am always angry when I hear elderly people have had to go into homes, yet are not allowed to take their much loved pets with them!! Thankfully nowadays there are some homes that do allow the older generations to take their only companions with them. Sadly there need to be many more!

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13. 60

    hballardposted 12 years ago

    That's actually a really good question to bring up.
    I guess it would really depend on the people involved, and also your definition of animal lover. I personally own a couple of animals, and my family owns horses, cows, dogs, and cats. Our animals are almost a part of the family. We love them and care for them as best we can. But we try to have the same kind of love, or more, towards other people.
    Now animal rights extremists are a whole nother story! Take PETA for example. Both the founder of PETA and her mentor have been quoted saying that they really have no respect for life (animal or human) and they really do not "love" animals. They only seek to push their own agendas to give animals more rights then humans. So in that case, I really don't know who they love most, if not themselves.

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    aznpanda206posted 12 years ago

    I think you can love both humans and animals...
    BUT, it does not mean that because you love humans, you will love animals,
    NOR, does it mean that because you love animals, you will love humans.
    
    everybody is different, it will depends on the person.

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15. 93

    habeeposted 12 years ago

    I love animals and humans, but most dogs are better "people" than the people I know. lol

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    pinkdaisyposted 12 years ago

    I agree! Dogs are the best "people" I know. 

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    sofsposted 12 years ago

    Hey,I love animals...but never more than humans...People first is my policy!
    I like the question though... I have wondered about this myself.. especially when people spend hundreds of dollars on their dogs but won't give a penny to a dying man... I know I will cause a stir here... but that is MHO.

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       TamCorposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       No stir from me, because I agree with you!  I once saw a man in his 20's cussing out a nine year old boy, calling him every name in the book...then turn around and baby talk and hug on his dog...what a miserable excuse for a human being.
       
       Luckily, he's more the exception than the rule...

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    aznpanda206posted 12 years ago

    @TamCor but, did you see the entire thing happen? if anything, it COULD (maybe, it could have been) that the 9 year old boy did something...wrong? you can't really judge the situation if you not did see the entire thing happen? what if this 9year old boy fed chocolate the to dog? i mean, it could be all possibilities. what if this 9year old boy was his son and his song did something really bad that needed discipline? i mean, it's wrong for a 20 year old man to cuss at a 9 year old, but there can be worse things too.

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       TamCorposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Yes, I saw the whole thing--the little boy did nothing to the dog.  I can't remember now he supposedly did, but believe me, nothing he could do was bad enough to deserve being treated like that--he was calling him stupid, worthless, idiot...you name it.  The little boy was the older man's brother-in-law, and lived with them.
       
       There's discipline, and there's discipline, you know?  The guy always treated his dog better than that poor little boy, and there's just something wrong with that picture.

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          aznpanda206posted 12 years agoin reply to this

          @tamcor this is definitely controversial. There is bad discipline, of course, and I think that's what you observed. I would feel sorry for the little boy because he probably won't be "disciplined" correctly.
          
          But you know there is a saying (from my ethnicity) - if they yell at you, it means that they care. They care enough to tell you that you did something wrong.
          
          I don't know- we shouldn't really judge the situation because we don't know all the facts about it. But yelling at a little boy "in an   American standard" is wrong, but in other cultures, not.

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             TamCorposted 12 years agoin reply to this

             I understand what you're saying, and I admit that I am just as guilty as others who have yelled at their kids at one time or another.
             
             BUT...never, ever, did I call my kids the names and insults that this man did.  And I certainly never put our family pet on a higher pedestal than them.
             
             Human beings should never be second place to an animal.  I love animals, and have had many pets through the years, but I never put them ahead of my family. 

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    incomeguruposted 12 years ago

    It's not true that all animal lovers will love human beings. Although in the real world we're supposed to love everything created by God.

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