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further, if one has the opportunity to talk to people working in a forensic psychology unit, they might discover the presence of the "wild animal" in the human

further, if one has the opportunity to talk to people working in a forensic psychology unit, they might discover the presence of the "wild animal" in the human and that all of us are still a lot closer to that wild animal than we like to admit.

silicon2401 6y ago
I wish there was more literature about this, both academic and fictional. I've always found it amusing how far people go to believe that we're detached from the wild animal in us. From conception to some young age I'd say we barely differ from animals (hence why some animals are compared to humans at various, usually single-digit, ages). Then even once we're grown, there are many situations where I think, surely this is what a regular animal experiences too: looking for something and absentmindedly searching, having fun running around with friends, identifying a dangerous situation and either taking action to defend loved ones or flee, etc.
- gnramires 6y ago
  I recommend Jane Goodall's memoirs (In the Shadow of Man, The Chimpanzees of Gombe, and more), I think they provide a fairly balanced view on our relationship with our near ancestors (what Chimpanzees can and cannot do).
  - jbay808 6y ago
    Minor point: Chimpanzees are our relatives, not our ancestors.
rbanffy 6y ago
Still, a raging 80 kg human can be a handful to deal with. A raging 200 kg gorilla is much worse. There is a lot that can be done to assimilate a gorilla into a human society, but they aren't human and the differences, while possible to understand at a certain effort, may end up surprising you. My cat still tries to hunt my foot when bored. If she were a tiger, I would have a very serious problem to deal with (it's hard to buy shoes individually)
- wsc981 6y ago
  > My cat still tries to hunt my foot when bored. If she were a tiger, I would have a very serious problem to deal with (it's hard to buy shoes individually) But how about a lion? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btuxO-C2IzE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btuxO-C2IzE
- btilly 6y ago
  Still, a raging 80 kg human can be a handful to deal with. Exactly how big a handful becomes much clearer when someone close to you spends long enough manic and without sleep, then goes psychotic.
  - Aeolun 6y ago
    Trying to hold my 15kg toddler when he goes crazy has given me a fairly good idea of what that would be like.
    - btilly 6y ago
      I would have said the same when my kids were young. When my sister went crazy in exactly the manner described, I learned that I was wrong. Totally wrong.
      - Aeolun 6y ago
        That’s potentially true, I have no experience with that. What I was really trying to say though was that I can barely control him now. I can’t imagine I would be able to when he’s 80kgs.
        btilly 6y ago
        The big difference is that you have to put up with the toddler's tantrum for perhaps 15 minutes. You can even choose to walk away if you need to - the toddler won't go anywhere. A manic adult is more coherent, but goes on for days. I mean that literally - mania keeps you from sleeping.

silicon2401 6y ago

I wish there was more literature about this, both academic and fictional. I've always found it amusing how far people go to believe that we're detached from the wild animal in us. From conception to some young age I'd say we barely differ from animals (hence why some animals are compared to humans at various, usually single-digit, ages). Then even once we're grown, there are many situations where I think, surely this is what a regular animal experiences too: looking for something and absentmindedly searching, having fun running around with friends, identifying a dangerous situation and either taking action to defend loved ones or flee, etc.

gnramires 6y ago
I recommend Jane Goodall's memoirs (In the Shadow of Man, The Chimpanzees of Gombe, and more), I think they provide a fairly balanced view on our relationship with our near ancestors (what Chimpanzees can and cannot do).
- jbay808 6y ago
  Minor point: Chimpanzees are our relatives, not our ancestors.

rbanffy 6y ago

Still, a raging 80 kg human can be a handful to deal with. A raging 200 kg gorilla is much worse. There is a lot that can be done to assimilate a gorilla into a human society, but they aren't human and the differences, while possible to understand at a certain effort, may end up surprising you. My cat still tries to hunt my foot when bored. If she were a tiger, I would have a very serious problem to deal with (it's hard to buy shoes individually)

wsc981 6y ago
> My cat still tries to hunt my foot when bored. If she were a tiger, I would have a very serious problem to deal with (it's hard to buy shoes individually) But how about a lion? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btuxO-C2IzE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btuxO-C2IzE
btilly 6y ago
Still, a raging 80 kg human can be a handful to deal with. Exactly how big a handful becomes much clearer when someone close to you spends long enough manic and without sleep, then goes psychotic.
- Aeolun 6y ago
  Trying to hold my 15kg toddler when he goes crazy has given me a fairly good idea of what that would be like.
  - btilly 6y ago
    I would have said the same when my kids were young. When my sister went crazy in exactly the manner described, I learned that I was wrong. Totally wrong.
    - Aeolun 6y ago
      That’s potentially true, I have no experience with that. What I was really trying to say though was that I can barely control him now. I can’t imagine I would be able to when he’s 80kgs.
      - btilly 6y ago
        The big difference is that you have to put up with the toddler's tantrum for perhaps 15 minutes. You can even choose to walk away if you need to - the toddler won't go anywhere. A manic adult is more coherent, but goes on for days. I mean that literally - mania keeps you from sleeping.