Why do we disparage animals so much when we observe undesirable qualities in people?


Here are just a few of the ways we badmouth members of the animal kingdom:

If two boys are being unruly, we tell them to stop horsing around.

If someone shows a lack of intelligence, we refer to them as a birdbrain.

If someone won't stop trying to get us to do something, we tell them to stop badgering us.

If two females get into a physical altercation, we call it a catfight.

If an overweight elderly lady refuses to go along with a modern idea, she gets called an old cow.

And those are the animals that get off lightly with the name calling compared to the poor swine.

If we think someone is crying unnecessarily, we tell them they're squealing like a pig.

If someone eats more than they should, we tell them they're pigging out.

If a parent sees a huge mess in their son or daughter's bedroom, they order them to clean up the pigsty.

But the canine gets it even worse.

If you've been really ill for days, you might explain you've been sick as a dog (as if a dog gets sicker than other animals).

If it's oppressively hot, you might complain it's a dog day afternoon.

If someone emits a bad smell from their mouth, you might think they have dog breath.

If someone is being lazy on the job, you might chide them to stop dogging it.

So why do humans invoke animal habits when they see bad behavior in other people?

Since humans are animals, too, maybe we disparage the other animals to make ourselves feel superior. When we transfer their otherwise normal traits to humans, the traits then take on negative meanings because we think we're better than them.

If that's the case, the next time you see a dog showing great interest in another dog passing by, but the other dog ignores the overture, you could call that an act of humanity.
