While I wouldn't put the life of one of my own species (in most cases) I must admit that I certainly like the company and personality of most animals, including fish (of course, always nice and straightforward and any pair-bonding fish species are always the most loyal, sweet, and in the case where one pair-bonder dies heartbreaking to observe) better than the majority of people. While I am somewhat hardwired for it (like most humans, if to a lesser degree) it's always nice to take a break from the pressures of the sheer complexity of human interaction and social behaviors. While cool and a nice example of social/phycological evolution, I do prefer other species to my own to hang out with. They're just so much more cool about it.
This is not to say that the rest of the animal kingdom doesn't have their own bullies, idiots, zealots, murderers, psychopaths, rapists, war-makers and other such things. Just like love, compassion, altruism, loyalty, creativity and self-awareness are not entirely human traits, neither are the negative traits commonly only associated with humans entirely, well, human. I can also say there are individual animals that I like a whole lot less than most people, even the daft ones. It's never black and white (or even shades of gray), more like a whole spectrum of colors, moving in three dimensions along the color wheel not only by primary/secondary/ect colors but also among saturation and gradation, with a nice smattering of textures thrown in for good measure.
In other words, I quite like coffee. I can see why writers drink it.
What were talking about again?
Oh yes, animals are awesome. Most of them (even the bipedal, furless apes).
) who was recently arrested for "training" his horse by beating her with a baseball bat (I saw the pictures, and it was bad). I've never seen a horse beat anybody with a bat...
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