More Alike than Different

More Alike than Different

Russell E. Vance, III, PhD

If this were a video or television program it would be opening with the sound of Willie Nelson singing “On the Road Again” with a big ole Dodge Ram Hemi 4x4 pulling a red and white vintage trailer down the road toward the distant mountains.

Since it's not a video or television program you'll have to use your imagination. It was that image in my mind that actually prompted this blog. I'm sure, as I get into the subject, you'll start to wonder about me, but that's a different matter.

I know a young woman who suffers from major depressive disorder. Major depressive disorder is a chemical depression; that is, the person only feels and manifests depression because of a chemical imbalance. They may be having the greatest day of their life, but if their chemistry get off they may start crying. Comorbid to this – that's medical talk for another disease or disorder existing at the same time – is chronic pain. Chronic pain in and of itself is quite capable of causing depression, so this poor lady has a double whammy. Double whammy is not a medical term, but probably best describes her situation.

This lady has a dog. The dog is more than a pet. The dog is a companion animal. In this case the animal actually senses changes in her body and will alert her by his behavior before the actual manifestation in her body. His behavior is to try to cuddle and comfort her. There is only one way this dog can do this. For the dog to recognize a change in emotional status the dog must share emotions. There is only one reason for the cuddling and comforting. The dog has and shares emotions.

This is all precursory to my thesis; a reality of which scientist have been aware but have been afraid to admit for at least one to two centuries; viz. that all animals share the same emotions. Oh, my. There I went and said it. But western religion doesn't permit its adherents to consider such a thought. Thankfully I'm not an adherent to any religion, so I'm safe. I don't have to worry about being punished in the United States for such belief, at least not unless some current politicians get their way.

The eyes tell the story

Before I go further I guess I should explain how the vision of heading down the road toward mountains and a lady with chronic pain with a companion dog got me to this point. My brain just works that way, I guess. As I was driving this morning I experienced the emotion of longing to be on the road. Being aware of my feelings I began to think about how one tries to put them in words. It is very difficult to explain or describe an emotion without using the word for that emotion. Homo sapiens do not explain or verbalize their emotions to each other. We recognize an emotion in another homo sapien by their behavior or because we can relate to the emotion. That led me to how other animals express the same emotions.

Primate Skeletons

If you look closely, with an open mind, at all mammals you will notice that we're more alike than different. Check out our skeleton. (1) You can do an internet search and find untold numbers of sites that compare mammal skeletons. One thing which you will learn is that there is minimal difference. I could give a lecture on the skeleton of a dog and you would not know I was talking about a dog unless I told you. The biggest differences are between gender not species. Religion wants us to think that we were "created" differently. That's just not true. The basic skeletal structure developed over millions of years and was structurally established by the time the hominina (first human and biped ancestors) came along. Compared to most mammal species we are the johnny-come-latelies. As a separate species, our coming so much later than others was to our benefit.

Homo Sapiens compared to Bird Skeleton

The next thing you will notice is that our chemistry is the same as all other mammals. (2) I didn't say that our chemistry is similar to other mammals. I said that it is identical. The chemistry of the brain developed over a long time before our earliest ancestors arrived on the scene. We inherited the chemistry of our brains from earlier animals. It is designed for survival. When I was driving down the road and my memory reminded me of my previous enjoyable experiences of being on the road, dopamine (a feel good chemical) began to be released. It not only makes you feel good about the experience but provides energy for the chase or the pursuit of the goal/reward. Even the means by which these chemicals are produced by our bodies are the same. Face it. You're an animal.

As Dr. Carl Safina (3) likes to point out we are willing to accept that other animals get angry but we don't want to allow them any other emotions. That would make them the same as us and our Abrahemic religions won't tolerate such a thought. But how can one argue that another animal is obviously angry but can't be happy or loving? It doesn't make sense does it.

Some years ago I encountered a report of a mother elephant whose baby did something that it shouldn't. (4) As a result of straying away it did get into potentially deadly trouble. The mother and some other females rescued the baby. Once the baby was safe the mother was observed checking the baby for injury, cuddling and showing love and concern followed with a definite slap on the rump for misbehaving. This can not happen without emotions. Dr. Safina shares an entire book of observations and science to establish this as a fact. (5) It is only human arrogance, egged on by religion, that would deny such observations and reports.

A good speech or an article or a monograph should always have a point or a goal. I guess by definition this is not a good monograph because I had no conscious goal and I only shared these thoughts because so many people have never thought about how much we are like the other animals with whom we share this magnificent and fragile blue planet. Perhaps if we were more conscious of our similarities and interdependence we might curtail some of our destructive behaviors. Alas the one big difference between the homo sapiens and other animals is that we are the only animal that hunts and kills for pleasure. Perhaps if you were more conscious of how that animal loves its young, is happy, sad or afraid and wants to live, you might not shoot and kill it for pleasure or hang its head on your wall as a trophy.

Life on this earth is fragile. Scientist can identify the thin margins and combinations of factors that permitted a spinning hunk of hot gasses and rock to develop into a planet where carbon-based life like ours can exist. To this point humans have been far from good citizens. Now is the time for change.  Let us be mindful of our great treasure and do our best to preserve it. May we be mindful of our interdependence with all life on earth and show grateful respect.

FOOT NOTES:

(1) http://www.earthlife.net/mammals/skeleton.html and/or https://www.basicbiology.net/animal/mammals/skeleton/

(2) http://www.slideshare.net/LorettaBreuning/mammalian-brain-chemistry-explains-everything

(3) Safina, Carl ( ). Beyond Words: what animals think and feel.

(4) I read this report quite a number of years ago and can not find a reference to cite. Guess I'll just have to say "from memory".

(5) The difference between science and other disciplines is that for something to be accepted by science as true, fact, etc., it must be able to be replicated. If you can't do or demonstrate something again and again you have no case for validity. The presence of emotions in all animals has been demonstrated countless times.