Sometimes, when we are confronted with an animal, we are quick to judge based on their physical appearance. In events like adoption, the cute animal is the one most likely to get adopted. Pets such as dogs are picked based on size and age. If they are small or young, they are considered cute and are the ones getting adopted. The people adopting in this case, are using superficial anthropomorphism, an inadequate type of anthropomorphism. However, what about wild animals that are illegally sold as pets because they are cute? It is important to think beyond the pets that are well known. Not having enough knowledge on animals, and "superficial anthropomorphism," keeps people from seeing harmful effects. In terms of wild pets, not even applied
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People see the animal and compare it to animal characters on television, and toys that have been neotenized. In “Neoteny in American Perception of Animals,” Elizabeth A. Lawrence, a veterinary anthropologist who studied human animal relations, defines neoteny as “a condition in which youthful characteristics are retained in the adult form of an animal” (60). People can neotenize both physically and behaviorally. The slow lorises have become popular for their juvenile traits, that remind people of all the other neotenized animals and toys in society. I do not mean to say that people should not describe animals as cute, but I do want to emphasize that people should be mindful of said cute animals. It is important not to conclude that just because an animal is cute, it cannot cause harm. Neotenization of animals is placing people in denial; they are blocking the true nature of …show more content…
With the use of applied anthropomorphism, people use self knowledge to project possible ideas on what it is like to be another species. In the video of Sonya the slow loris, there is no clear sign of applied anthropomorphism since we are only given a glimpse of the slow loris being tickled. However, the title placed on the video as “Sonya The Tickle Lover” suggests the owners did not have a hypothesis since their prediction did not have enough solid evidence, and did not cause further investigation. I would say that applied anthropomorphism is adequate when animals are being observed for scientific and educational purposes. In other words, applied anthropomorphism is not an efficient technique when it comes to wild
People see the animal and compare it to animal characters on television, and toys that have been neotenized. In “Neoteny in American Perception of Animals,” Elizabeth A. Lawrence, a veterinary anthropologist who studied human animal relations, defines neoteny as “a condition in which youthful characteristics are retained in the adult form of an animal” (60). People can neotenize both physically and behaviorally. The slow lorises have become popular for their juvenile traits, that remind people of all the other neotenized animals and toys in society. I do not mean to say that people should not describe animals as cute, but I do want to emphasize that people should be mindful of said cute animals. It is important not to conclude that just because an animal is cute, it cannot cause harm. Neotenization of animals is placing people in denial; they are blocking the true nature of …show more content…
With the use of applied anthropomorphism, people use self knowledge to project possible ideas on what it is like to be another species. In the video of Sonya the slow loris, there is no clear sign of applied anthropomorphism since we are only given a glimpse of the slow loris being tickled. However, the title placed on the video as “Sonya The Tickle Lover” suggests the owners did not have a hypothesis since their prediction did not have enough solid evidence, and did not cause further investigation. I would say that applied anthropomorphism is adequate when animals are being observed for scientific and educational purposes. In other words, applied anthropomorphism is not an efficient technique when it comes to wild