The False Narrative of Myth: Cultural Perspectives

Written by
John Cox, M.A. C/M

“The idea that animals willingly offer themselves up to be killed by humans is a cultural myth. Animals possess a strong, natural instinct for self-preservation and fear death or pain. No scientific evidence shows that any animal wants to die or consents to be slaughtered by people.

Where did the origins and context of this erroneous myth develop? Or, Why did they develop?

The answer simple — folklore and religion, as well as Fear from human instinct, to perform a symbolic ritual, or a false-respect so to speak, to win favor rather than animosity from the spirits within the mountains and forests and ranges. Ancient hunting cultures often told stories of sacred beasts or game spirits that “gave” themselves to hunters, under the auspices of proper rituals to be performed — so the belief goes.

We can also observe, through research, the Psychological Comfort or, the Imagining that an animal consent helps human’s ease feelings of guilt or moral conflict regarding hunting or eating meat.

Also situations of Misinterpreting Behavior, where the less experience or knowledge a person has obtained, they assume,sometimes, a trapped or cornered animal’s calm or shock response, for acceptance or willingness.

Once again, we can understand scientific and ethical realities do exist, and all animals, wild and domestic animals, will fight, flee, or show severe stress when facing danger or slaughter. Yes, they experience pain before death.

We can also find, through science, animals lack the abstract Concepts the humans can develop toward painful experiences, or death. The human mental dysfunctions such as ignorance, bias, bigotry, or Pathological Narcissism, does impose upon the life and death of an animal, to the point of tragic results for all animals.

Science also indicates, through credible research and observation, and experience, animals lack the complex, future-oriented self-awareness required to comprehend and willingly accept their own permanent death.

The unmitigated fact is the choice to harvest (a non-conservationist term in today’s terminology and very debatable to indeed use) or raise animals for, is driven entirely by human needs, culture, and choices, not from of the animals themselves.

We need to think more, about the things we, as humans do to other life-forms on this planet. The acceptability of Myth, at times often Rubber-Stamped as a cultural circumstance, with heritage and history, can be wrong, unethical, and morally inept.” — John Cox, M.A. C/M