you are what you eat...

Anthropomorphisation, thinks I all the beast urban

I'm a fish. I eat big fish, little fish, frogs, small reptiles and nasty fishermen's spinners!

Sure, we are always judged by what we eat. That's for sure, Jb.. when someone's not eating well, some would think that perhaps diet, a broken heart or a suffering a sickness. When eating a lot, either being happy, stressed, also perhaps suffering from a broken heart and plainly addicted to food. We even judge people by the food they eat. Some, not all.. like well, so and so loves eating ice-cream from the restaurant only and not anywhere else. Yikes, why that's so.... or you have instances like so and so only buys groceries from this supermarket, to get discounts always. Sometimes animals have it better than us humans..

First of all, I doubt vultures are seen as repulsive. In fact it was used often as symbol of greatness or something on many flags and arms ... On the oter hand, if I like to eat grilled wild boar filled with bear ribs and tigers back legs muscle ... how am I ?

I'm a cup of tea? The tea's quite OK, but I'm not sure I want to be the cup. It's bright yellow with a two very ugly lemons painted on it ... Maybe we want to do the same with animals as we do with people, make nice little sterotypes for them so that we know what to expect. As for herbivores, once you've tried to make a bunch of sheep get of the road, you don't need any stereotypes anymore. White, fluffy, stupid things. No wonder they get eaten when they let them run free in the forrest.

The way in which they gather their food is the key I think. The fierce big cats seem brave and strong as they go in for the kill. The cow just stands in the field chewing on grass not bothered about running away. Mice are little and scuttly and secretive because they would rather be the hunters than the hunted. The snake is stealthy or clever and surprises the prey otherwise it would avoid the slitherer in the first place. We I think are seen as industrious and forward planning .

I think people categorize animals in this way coz in our own lives and societies we behave in exactly the same way with our fellow humans. People who are good at frontal attack, who are merciless, who tear apart the weak…are admired, the weak are always thought of as dumb and no-good, the poor are looked down as parasites and simply wished away while the scavengers (yes, you have them too, in many poor countries including my India) are to be kept at a safe distance (as if they spread some contagious diseases) though acknowledged as a very important and integral part of society in cleaning up our mess. And then you have the grand omnivores…yes very clever and resourceful but not liked at all…just like human nature…never appreciate openly somebody who’s resourceful enough to make a meal out of scraps….be jealous but don’t admit and admire.

Take two . . . first one wiped out. I must remember to copy before posting! I do admire your way of thinking and the interesting discussions you post, but I don't have a clue on this one. I can't say I've ever pidgeon-holed animals in that way. I admire lions and tigers for their majesty and eagles for their amazing flight abilities. I'm not sure what attracts to gorillas, but it could well be their human-like qualities. Some animals are just "cute" and some are hard to define the attraction - or detraction. Of course, there are some people who want to pidgeon-hole or compartmentalise everything in life - but why do we call them pidgeon-holes?

OK if you're a rabbit, does that make you a cannibal? Bad Dawn... I have no idea, maybe it goes back to our hunter gatherer days...

When I first read your title, I thought, "Woohoo, I'm a cookie!". Then I read further. I think that people's viewpoints on other creatures varies, depending on the personality or nature of the person who is classifying them. More aggressive people could share the viewpoints you list. Others may see the big meateaters as frightening (because they themselves may be eaten), little carnivores seen as cute (because they are not a threat), herbivores as gentle (deer, rabbits), respect (and agree on the intelligence) of omnivores (most of our pets, dogs and cats are omnivores), and scavengers are often seen as delicious (lobsters, clams, catfish, etc). Respect for the animal kingdom varies (including how we view other people), giving us Adolph Hitlers and Mother Theresas, big game hunters and PETA members. It's those who happen to fall at the extremes that are the most noticeable.

I eat rabbit paella. What does that make me - apart from your natural enemy, of course.

Well, we like stereotyping, I don't really know why, but that's human nature I guess. We tend to judge people, things or even animals in the way they are living their life, or how they look, or what kind of job they have..

Uhm I dont know I never really thought about it that way... but I guess reading what you are writing here makes sense. Maybe, human can relates to this animals. For example, little carnivores are viewed as sneaky, but in truth they really are sneaky. They have to be, otherwise they wont have chance to get meals as they have the disadvantage of being small. big meateaters are admired.. picture it that you are a tiger, you are strong, powerful, dangerous. If you are human with this characteristic, wouldnt you be admired too at some point ?

Yes ......Some naga sages eat flesh of human beings in Himalayas, they look like a wild animals.....I saw the recent telecast In TV, National Geographic chaneel about this. Some holy saints eat only fruits or vegetables, they look like a holy man.

What I know is I'm vegetable and I'm banana cause I eat those things. A good idea? Big meateaters..well they look big and strong. Don't know about sneaking ones, but they DO sneak as far as I have seen (courtesy Discovery) My knowledge is limited, so is veg supply here (rubbish!)

a combination of fear, superiority, logic and instictual applying of our own human values to animals. big carnevores can eat us so we are afraid and as such respect them. little carnivores are working against their own size and are rarely seen catching their prey, so logically we see them as cunning and 'sneaky'. cows generally do little more than stay still, fart, belch and eat - what in a person we would generalise to an unintelligent slob. omnivores are like us and therefor we unconsciouslly consider them equal to a degree. this makes them rivals and we naturally dislike them whilst respecting their intellect. scavengers are like the typical scroungers of society who don't work, talk horribly and swear a lot, get into fights and rely on the rest of the country to pay for them to live. these are the sort of people we do not wsh to associate with and this view is passed on to animals such as vultures (obviously i'm stereotyping here, not all people who accept benefits are scum and most have genuine reasons and problems that i accept).