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Utilizing a relationship with a pet to cultivate empathy is a form of exploitation in the same way that being kind and generous to people in order to feel good
by warent 5y ago
Utilizing a relationship with a pet to cultivate empathy is a form of exploitation in the same way that being kind and generous to people in order to feel good about oneself is a form of selfishness. The Dalai Lama refers to this as "wise selfishness."
As long as the animal is also happy and cared for, then utilizing a relationship with a pet to cultivate empathy is a healthy, normal, pro-social behavior which makes the world a better place. You could say it's a symbiotic relationship of wise exploitation.
(EDIT: To clarify, the difference here is that challenges which arise in such relationships serve to grow and enhance empathy and love. Whereas with a work animal / tool, challenges in the relationship means discarding the beast and replacing it with something more useful)
As far as the hypothetical situations go, it's a red herring that I don't have the time to dive into.
- giantg2 5y agoYou are ignoring the n-order impacts like resource allocation. You are clearly not generating empathy for the animals that your pet is consuming. It also seems any positive impact is negligible give the current status quo. "As long as the animal is also happy and cared for, then utilizing a relationship with a pet to cultivate empathy is a healthy, normal, pro-social behavior which makes the world a better place." emphasis mine This is a highly speculative opinion that provides no cost benefit analysis.