memory

[Kaetlinv]

Ive been reading this and I'm rather confused about how to portray my opinion...


None of this is definite fact so please don't think i'm trying to be a know it all. It's an attempt to sort out my thoughts and possibly help this discussion become something more than a 'I'm right, you're wrong' fight.


While reptiles are not capable of complex thought / emotion, fear and anger are emotional responses whether they're caused by physical, audial, or visual stimuli.

Humans are not the only intelligent creature out there - while snakes are no where near matching us, their responses are the same as ours.

Our fear is caused by the same stimuli as any animal. Take away touch and we wouldn't be scared by something hitting us because we couldn't feel. Take away sight and we couldn't be scared of the things in front of us (say a fear of a spider or lightning) because we couldn't see it. Take away sound and the noises that scare us no longer apply.

This applies to all animals. Emotions appear to be response to stimuli, past or present.

Instinct is more about the fight or flight reaction that no one or thing can really control if it's pressing enough. Instinct is the reaction that is automatic - humans have little instinct now beyond fight or flight and the desire to reproduce.

Some animals are able to process their emotions and react to them accordingly, either accepting the fear or deciding to give what they're afraid of another chance. Snakes it seems, are able to feel fear, but not able to choose to push it aside. They learn purely by experience and if you ever hope to make them learn otherwise you'll be waiting a long time, and may never change them because that reaction is dead set.

So my opinion is that snakes specifically, do hold emotion but it is a black-and-white sort of emotion based off of individual events that have happened to them, and fear will always win out over the good if something bad were to happen to the snake.

So;
good events(tolerance / happiness) > instinct (tolerance / fear)
bad events(Fear / anger) > good events (tolerance / happiness)
Bad event responses become instinct.

Just how I see it.