Gratitude, Compulsion, Idiocy or Nobility?

[Kumar]

Hello all,

Many animals & birds which are meant to be slaughtered for food, even if set free, come back to the house of those who nursed but will ultimately slaughter them. Eg. Male goats, cows, cocks etc.

Is it their Gratitude(to repay), Compulsion, Idiocy or Nobility?

Best wishes

 

[MikeG]

Since when was a bird not an animal?

They don't know they are bound for slaughter, but they do know where they were fed. End of thread.

 

[The Don]

Hello all,

Many animals & birds which are meant to be slaughtered for food, even if set free, come back to the house of those who nursed but will ultimately slaughter them. Eg. Male goats, cows, cocks etc.

Is it their Gratitude(to repay), Compulsion, Idiocy or Nobility?

Best wishes

Any evidence that they do ?

MikeG's explanation sounds like the most reasonable.

 

[Spindrift]

How are the animals supposed to know there are to be slaughtered? Can they read?

 

[fagin]

Hello all,

Many animals & birds which are meant to be slaughtered for food, even if set free, come back to the house of those who nursed but will ultimately slaughter them. Eg. Male goats, cows, cocks etc.

Is it their Gratitude(to repay), Compulsion, Idiocy or Nobility?

Best wishes

Why are lady goats, hens and boy cows excluded. I really need to know...

 

[abaddon]

This is one of the prime examples of anthropomorphic personification that one commonly sees. None of it's proponents ever think it through to it's logical conclusion.

 

[JayUtah]

Many animals & birds which are meant to be slaughtered for food, even if set free, come back to the house of those who nursed but will ultimately slaughter them. Eg. Male goats, cows, cocks etc.

Is it their Gratitude(to repay), Compulsion, Idiocy or Nobility?

None of the above. Every organism instinctively seeks out what it needs to stay alive. As is obvious -- but seems to require being pointed out to you -- animals that have previously experienced food and shelter at a particular location will return to that location in order to keep receiving food and shelter. As is further obvious -- but somehow also needs to be explained to you -- these animals have no idea they are in any danger, hence the instinct to flee from danger is not triggered.

The options you give above presume a highly developed consciousness that isn't relevant to the subjects of your question. You are personifying animals as the premise to asking your question.

 

[turingtest]

This is one of the prime examples of anthropomorphic personification that one commonly sees. None of it's proponents ever think it through to it's logical conclusion.

There is a certain symmetrical irony, I think, in the fact that the person who can't see the obvious answer here is the same person who keeps getting (metaphorically) slaughtered on this forum, yet keeps coming back to the house of those who feed him. Gratitude(to repay), Compulsion, Idiocy or Nobility?

 

[Loss Leader]

animals that have previously experienced food and shelter at a particular location will return to that location in order to keep receiving food and shelter.

For the vast majority of food animals you're correct. Some would leave forever if allowed. These animals are generally territorial or migratory. Turkeys will fly away (heritage, as the factory farmed ones are too fat). Deer like a whole lot of room to themselves and are hard to keep in captivity. We've bred whole species, however, who can be controlled in confinement.

In any case, there are few animals that show any hint of the emotions asked about in the OP.

 

[SOdhner]

Gratitude(to repay),

So this one implies they know they would be killed but are coming back because they think it's a way to repay the food and shelter they were given. This would require knowing that returning would result in them being slaughtered (nope) thinking that that death would repay a past debt (nope again) and being able to even think in those kinds of terms in the first place (also nope).

Compulsion

I guess this one partly depends on what you're suggesting compels them? If you're just saying it was instinct, well, virtually anything that an animal does can be chalked up to instinct if we want.

Idiocy

I wouldn't call it idiocy, but I would say (as everyone else has) that they probably don't have any idea that they're going to be slaughtered. I guess out of the four options that fits 'idiocy' best.

or Nobility?

This is the one I'm most curious about. I genuinely have no idea what this could possibly mean. I'd love some clarification.

 

[Mojo]

Hello all,

Many animals & birds which are meant to be slaughtered for food, even if set free, come back to the house of those who nursed but will ultimately slaughter them. Eg. Male goats, cows, cocks etc.

Is it their Gratitude(to repay), Compulsion, Idiocy or Nobility?

No, it's because they think that, next time, they will persuade their owners that homoeopathy works. "Try try again we will gain."

 

[Agatha]

They go to where they know there is food. They don't know that they are destined for slaughter.

 

[Mojo]

Hello all,

Many animals & birds which are meant to be slaughtered for food, even if set free, come back to the house of those who nursed but will ultimately slaughter them. Eg. Male goats, cows, cocks etc.

Is it their Gratitude(to repay), Compulsion, Idiocy or Nobility?

It's because they think it's where the female goats, cows and chickens are.

 

[Peregrinus]

I have been well-served for many years by the maxim that if your original assumptions are questionable, your conclusions won't be very useful.

 

[deaman]

Hello all,

Many animals & birds which are meant to be slaughtered for food, even if set free, come back to the house of those who nursed but will ultimately slaughter them. Eg. Male goats, cows, cocks etc.

Is it their Gratitude(to repay), Compulsion, Idiocy or Nobility?

Best wishes

What ARE you writing/talking about?

What is the premise of such a question?

 

[Thor 2]

Boy Kumar you do come out with some really, really, heavy stuff. You put the minds of us simple folk in a spin.

 

[Dancing David]

Hello all,

Many animals & birds which are meant to be slaughtered for food, even if set free, come back to the house of those who nursed but will ultimately slaughter them. Eg. Male goats, cows, cocks etc.

Is it their Gratitude(to repay), Compulsion, Idiocy or Nobility?

Best wishes

Assuming gratitude would be an error

 

[sackett]

Let's not be too quick to dismiss idiocy. Idiocy turns up in the darnedest places.

Internet forums, for example

 

[Thor 2]

Let's not be too quick to dismiss idiocy. Idiocy turns up in the darnedest places.

Internet forums, for example

It can be difficult to distinguish between idiocy and profound thought at times.

 

[dann]

Douglas Adams wrote about that kind of animal:

A large dairy animal approached Zaphod Beeblebrox's table, a large fat meaty quadruped of the bovine type with large watery eyes, small horns and what might almost have been an ingratiating smile on its lips.

"Good evening," it lowed and sat back heavily on its haunches, "I am the main Dish of the Day. May I interest you in the parts of my body?"
http://remotestorage.blogspot.dk/2010/07/douglas-adamss-cow-that-wants-to-be.html