I think it is a mistake to think merely because someone is receiving some emotional value from a pet with that person actually caring about the pet (this holds for people as well in all sorts of relationships) beyond the pet’s ability to delivery that emotional satisfaction.
I am not a psychologist but I suspect one can describe most abusive relationships as having filling an emotional need for the abuser, often with little to no recognition of the what the abusee’s true/real needs are.
But it’s also a mistake to think that using an animal in that way won’t lead to more empathy for animals in general—the question is instead to ask how people will best maintain consistent self—images?
In practice for the people who own pets, do you find them more empathic of animals after owning them? I think that
It does seem people use pets for their own needs, and often fool themselves that they’re doing it for the pet/ they’re a compassionate pet owner
People seem to be more compassionate towards animals when having owned pets, in order to maintain this image of compassionate pet owner.
So in my experience the evidence is that both what you and Chris are saying is true.
Anecdotally speaking, being forced to take care of a puppy made me significantly more empathic towards animals in general. Whereas I subconsciously saw pet owners as being ‘hijacked’ (even taking into account a rather animal-obsessed childhood), it was only after fully bonding with my puppy that I was able to empathise with suffering animals on a gut level (again, I used to be able to, then I was desensitised for years, then today I’m back to full-on animal empathy mode).
All this happened over the course of 4-5 days. It was actually quite scary to see my values change so abruptly, to the extent that visiting r/petloss literally makes me want to vomit due to how heavy it makes my heart.
I don’t see how using a pet as a personal emotional need relates to decreasing empathy for animals. It’s likely to me that would increase empathy.
I think it is a mistake to think merely because someone is receiving some emotional value from a pet with that person actually caring about the pet (this holds for people as well in all sorts of relationships) beyond the pet’s ability to delivery that emotional satisfaction.
I am not a psychologist but I suspect one can describe most abusive relationships as having filling an emotional need for the abuser, often with little to no recognition of the what the abusee’s true/real needs are.
But it’s also a mistake to think that using an animal in that way won’t lead to more empathy for animals in general—the question is instead to ask how people will best maintain consistent self—images? In practice for the people who own pets, do you find them more empathic of animals after owning them? I think that
It does seem people use pets for their own needs, and often fool themselves that they’re doing it for the pet/ they’re a compassionate pet owner
People seem to be more compassionate towards animals when having owned pets, in order to maintain this image of compassionate pet owner.
So in my experience the evidence is that both what you and Chris are saying is true.
Agreed. I was offering a counter to the proposition that pet ownership increases the empathy towards animals.
But I’m saying that it does, and that your point is not a counter?
Anecdotally speaking, being forced to take care of a puppy made me significantly more empathic towards animals in general. Whereas I subconsciously saw pet owners as being ‘hijacked’ (even taking into account a rather animal-obsessed childhood), it was only after fully bonding with my puppy that I was able to empathise with suffering animals on a gut level (again, I used to be able to, then I was desensitised for years, then today I’m back to full-on animal empathy mode).
All this happened over the course of 4-5 days. It was actually quite scary to see my values change so abruptly, to the extent that visiting r/petloss literally makes me want to vomit due to how heavy it makes my heart.