Animals

[Kwabs]

I know some people 'll say this belongs in the Video Topic, but I think this could use it's own.

 

 

 

So, as you can see in this video animals can be dicks. Not all the time ofcourse, but this is a 6 minute example that they're indeed dicks at certain times. Which made me wonder whether they know what they're doing or not. I mean sure they're animals, but does that mean they can't think? I'm pretty sure they're not aware of the consequenses of their actions like we are, but still.

 

I mean, when a dog follows his boss who's walking to his chair to sit, but pushes the chair away and makes his boss fall on the ground (1:20 - 1:25). Or the sheep at 3:37. Is that just coinsidence? Or do they actually think about what they're doing? I know I might sound like some crazy guy trying to make you people believe that animals can think(which I'm not yet). I don't really believe it myself, but I wouldn't be suprised if animals could actually think.

 

So what do you think?

Edited April 16, 2013 by ThaBoY

[VProductions]

My friend Wolf is clever and sometimes a bit sadistic and a bit sick.

[Deffpony]

Animals are not self aware. They suspect dolphins of being self aware and possibly chimps, but almost all animals are not self aware. Its the biggest separation between humans and animals.

 

Animals act primarily on instincts

[Typhus]

Animals are not self aware. They suspect dolphins of being self aware and possibly chimps, but almost all animals are not self aware. Its the biggest separation between humans and animals.

 

Animals act primarily on instincts

How can we possibly know that?

[GTAKid667]

Well I have never known of any ability of Animals as such but I am sure that we will find out one day... or will we

[GTASAddict]

Animals have one of these: http://www.bubblews.com/assets/images/news..._1364865132.jpg

 

They have a brain; therefore, they can think.

[Guest]

Of course animals can think, just not like humans.

 

My dog is clever though, he understands the concept of a mirror and everything.

 

See, at the bottom of the stairs we've got this mirror, and he sits at the top looking into the mirror to see Mum in the kitchen.

 

Our other dog though, is thick as sh*t and just stands in the doorway blocking it.

[Kwabs]

Its the biggest separation between humans and animals.

You do realise humans are also animals? So if we, as mammals, are self-aware why can't other animals be?

[ThunderSt0rm]

Its the biggest separation between humans and animals.

You do realise humans are also animals? So if we, as mammals, are self-aware why can't other animals be?

Because we are superior and we pretty much always rely on our brain rather than our instincts while animals are vice versa.

[Adler]

Its the biggest separation between humans and animals.

You do realise humans are also animals? So if we, as mammals, are self-aware why can't other animals be?

The main difference is that we can identify ourselves in the mirror. Most animals seem to believe that their reflection is a separate entity from themselves according to what we've observed through their behavior. Even humans don't learn the concept of self until a certain age, so young'uns will still play with their own reflection.

[blitz]

Do dogs think in barks?

[Typhus]

Do dogs think in barks?

Their barks are a separate language and, to their species, may be as intricate as our own language.

[crispypistonx8]

My dog barked 3 times in his entire life so I doubt that^. I'm not sure about your dog/s but mine was incredibly intelligent, not just saying that because he was mine either. To believe they can't think is hard for me to comprehend.

[El Dildo]

if you have a brain then you can think.

 

so yes, animals can think.

can they think at a high level? can they solve math problems? can they plan for long term goals? can they delay pleasure? can they ignore their instincts?

no. not really.

 

everything with a brain thinks.

but not every thought is intelligent.

[Ex Hellraiser]

I don't know, but the video is funny as f*ck...

[na89340qv0n34b09q340]

 

I'm pretty sure they're not aware of the consequenses of their actions like we are, but still.

 

What about conditioning animals? In Pavlov's famous dog experiment he got dogs to expect food, and salivate at the sound of a bell. Could you theoretically get an animal to understand consequences through constant conditioning? (I know my cat wouldn't get on my TV stand, because every time it did I'd yell at it and swat him across the head, so after a little while he'd get a scared look on his face and jump right off if I acknowledged him. So I believe they could be.)

[TheJonesy]

You have to take account for brain development in an evolutionary sense. Humans possess a much more advanced, complex system which would primarily be responsible for our intelligence. Their intelligence - and subsequently self awareness - is much more grounded in primal instinct rather than abstraction.