Joy is contagious. However, the definition of happiness varies between each culture. “The Mega-Marketing of Depression in Japan,” Ethan Watters analyzes the concept of depression and methods of treating it in Japan. Ironically, in “Wisdom,” by Robert Thurman, he argues that what the West views as depression in the East is actually happiness. In order to change these cultural beliefs, the Western civilization is putting the Eastern civilization through depression, much like it does the elephants. In Charles Siebert’s “An Elephant Crackup?” Siebert analyzes the reason for animal distress, leading it to humans. While the Buddhists view happiness as external, Western civilizations view it as internal while animals view it as a mixture of both
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When an elephant dies, the family conducts “weeklong vigils over the body,” and “revisit the bones for years afterwards,” similar to humans (Thurman 355). In addition, during an elephant’s first year, female caregivers surround him or her and shower him or her with love, which affects the elephant’s mental state for years to come (Thurman 355). Furthermore, an elephant’s happiness also depends on the way it is treated by humans, because that affects its own feelings. The Bronx Zoo “would phase out its elephant exhibit on social – behavioral grounds – an acknowledgement of a new awareness of the elephant’s very particular sensibility and needs (Siebert 364). Elephants cannot be kept in captivity and confinement as that can hinder the emotions of an elephant, which can lead to depression. Animals that interacted with people like Abe and de Zulueta, who nurtured and loved the elephants, were happier and also less violent. Thus, for elephants their happiness depends on their surroundings and how humans treat them. In addition, happiness also affects the elephants internally. If “early experiences [of an elephant] go in a positive way, it leads to greater resilience in things like affect regulation,” while if they “go awry in cases of abuse and neglect, there is a literal thinning down of essential circuits in the brain, especially in the emotion-processing areas” (Siebert 357). Just like humans, the way the elephant is treated affects the animals’ emotions, which affects its homeostasis and way of living life, whether depressed of happy. Therefore, for elephants happiness comes from the environment they are in and how they interact with humans in the early stages of life, which affects the elephants mental state and how they view themselves. An elephant’s definition of happiness is dependent on similar aspects as humans: freedom and love from and to
When an elephant dies, the family conducts “weeklong vigils over the body,” and “revisit the bones for years afterwards,” similar to humans (Thurman 355). In addition, during an elephant’s first year, female caregivers surround him or her and shower him or her with love, which affects the elephant’s mental state for years to come (Thurman 355). Furthermore, an elephant’s happiness also depends on the way it is treated by humans, because that affects its own feelings. The Bronx Zoo “would phase out its elephant exhibit on social – behavioral grounds – an acknowledgement of a new awareness of the elephant’s very particular sensibility and needs (Siebert 364). Elephants cannot be kept in captivity and confinement as that can hinder the emotions of an elephant, which can lead to depression. Animals that interacted with people like Abe and de Zulueta, who nurtured and loved the elephants, were happier and also less violent. Thus, for elephants their happiness depends on their surroundings and how humans treat them. In addition, happiness also affects the elephants internally. If “early experiences [of an elephant] go in a positive way, it leads to greater resilience in things like affect regulation,” while if they “go awry in cases of abuse and neglect, there is a literal thinning down of essential circuits in the brain, especially in the emotion-processing areas” (Siebert 357). Just like humans, the way the elephant is treated affects the animals’ emotions, which affects its homeostasis and way of living life, whether depressed of happy. Therefore, for elephants happiness comes from the environment they are in and how they interact with humans in the early stages of life, which affects the elephants mental state and how they view themselves. An elephant’s definition of happiness is dependent on similar aspects as humans: freedom and love from and to