Quote

[Adandiluvsmyreptiles]

"The serpent crams itself with animal life that is often warm and vibrant, to prolong an existence in which we detect no joy and no emotion. It reveals the depth to which evolution can sink when it takes the downward path and strips animals to the irreducible minimum able to perpetuate a predatory life in its naked horror." - Alexander Skutch

What are others views on this quote?

 

[Earthling]

I know instinct is something that is used to explain most animal behaviours, but after living with animals all my life and personally knowing some of humans inner urgings, I cant help but feel that at the crux of the matter thats Skutch's statement on Herps is baloney!

When a snake has sex is their no joy or emotion?
Does it feel nothing?
Is everything it does just an instinct? And...if it is instinct does that automatically mean it does not feel anything?
Scientists still do not know what instinct is..they theorise but do not know what causes it or what the animal experiences whilst instinct is happening.


Does it not experience the most common emotion known throughout the animal kingdom of Fear?

 

[Wrasse]

An Emo would substitute 'Human' for 'Serpent'.

 

[Scleropages]

"The serpent crams itself with animal life that is often warm and vibrant, to prolong an existence in which we detect no joy and no emotion. It reveals the depth to which evolution can sink when it takes the downward path and strips animals to the irreducible minimum able to perpetuate a predatory life in its naked horror." - Alexander Skutch

What are others views on this quote?

HAHAHHAAHH some people suck don't they

 

[MoreliaMatt]

some people have no idea!

i bet this person is one of those that have never been within 10ft of a herp!

 

[Chimera]

"in which we detect no joy and no emotion" - Alexander Skutch

Seems to be more a statement about humans ignorance to the subtle nuances of the natural world. Or am I just being cynical again

 

[cris]

I think there is truth behind it, but it is manipulated to support the writers obvious dislike of snakes.

Snakes have evolved to lose any significant brain power for problem solving, lost the ability to hear, lots their legs. I can understand how someone would call that an "irreducable minimum".

I believe they do have emotions and would experience some sort of "enjoyment" although it is obviously far more simple than other vertebrates with the possible exception of fish which seem to be the about the same IMO. Its "Not even the same game" in comparison to mammal intelligence IMO

 

[DaveInOz]

The projection of human emotion, and more importantly, human values on to non human 'anythings' , is the ultimate human conceit.
What makes human values so much better than anything else's?
Why assume we are the top of the evolutionary tree and as such the arbiters of all that is correct? Our existence is so much more precarious than almost any other living thing that you could argue the opposite, survival is the goal and we are the least well equipped.

So who noticed a favourite irritant of mine ....?


Further, the personification of inanimate objects should also be banned, they really don't like it.

 

[Adandiluvsmyreptiles]

Some good thoughts. Chimera summed it up nicely.

 

[liasis]

is that some religous bull or did some radom say it

 

[bredli84]

that sounds just lke the old school (17-1800's) biologists who created the "tree of life" type diagrams with humans as the pinacle of existence.
when u think from an evolutionary point of view, you can see that snakes are masters of their niche and are just as "evolved" as anything else.