the comedy of anthropomorphism
Humans are animals— but can animals be human? Humans have long associated human characteristics with animals through anthropomorphism — from Mickey Mouse in 1928's "Steamboat Willie" to dolls, puppet shows and today, where we see numerous examples on our social media feeds. One reason people engage in this is to make sense of behaviours and events they encounter, and seeing pets or objects as human-like can potentially help fulfill a social need. It's also theorized that this practice could be a product of our own evolution. The downside, however (and there's always a downside), is that anthropomorphizing anything can cause misunderstandings. For example, humans tend to think hugging a dog will be perceived by the dog as a form of affection, when in reality dogs generally do not like being embraced. That doesn't mean, though, that our interpretations are always wrong and science continues to explore the possibilities. And considering human's continued act of engaging in this thought process is a product of our evolution, then we may not be able to escape our nature.
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