My sister emailed me today. I was bothered by my insensitivity towards people but not towards animals. I asked her if I was a terrible human being. Even though she is younger than I, she's so much wiser. I had to share her reply!
"if
I've ever been hurt by an animal - like a bite or scratch or getting
bucked
off - it is always because I have interfered with the survival
instinct.
The intent of the animal is to protect itself, it is never to harm me
physically, much less hurt me emotionally. People however, I've known
to be
intentionally cruel so I'm not very sympathetic either and as guilty of
suspecting ulterior motives as the next guy. So nothing's "terrible"
about
the way you feel. Very often it is the animals around us that bring
out our
own humanity, because of their honesty, the absence of malice in their
actions and reactions. It is because of this, I think, that we feel
for
them, rather than for our fellow human beings"
Isn't she the greatest?
"if
I've ever been hurt by an animal - like a bite or scratch or getting
bucked
off - it is always because I have interfered with the survival
instinct.
The intent of the animal is to protect itself, it is never to harm me
physically, much less hurt me emotionally. People however, I've known
to be
intentionally cruel so I'm not very sympathetic either and as guilty of
suspecting ulterior motives as the next guy. So nothing's "terrible"
about
the way you feel. Very often it is the animals around us that bring
out our
own humanity, because of their honesty, the absence of malice in their
actions and reactions. It is because of this, I think, that we feel
for
them, rather than for our fellow human beings"
Isn't she the greatest?
