ListNook

MrVig Apr 1, 2026 +7

Innocence and guilt are human ideas. Makes no sense to apply them to animals.

7

TheFatAndUglyOldDude Apr 1, 2026 +3

Animals, with a few exceptions, don't plan to do things. They just do them. And animals don't really have "rules" anyway to break. They just do animal things. So if they can't break rules, then they really can't be guilty of anything.

3

crepesarentpancakes Apr 1, 2026 +2

It's a fact animals are more innocent and so much more pure & honest than most humans.

2

CricketsAtDawn Apr 1, 2026 +2

Humans, having sentience and greater morality, have an obligation for stewardship of nature and animals who do not possess the power to control their environment the way we can. Animals are more innocent than us, and they are ignorant of the reasons why we hurt them or help them. This is kinda basic stuff.

2

Sweet_Sell8347 Apr 1, 2026 +2

I think it's true

2

Affectionate_Fix6579 Apr 1, 2026 +1

So do i

1

Clean-Struggle7981 Apr 1, 2026 +1

it's honestly kind of wild if you think about it. animals just vibe and live their lives, while humans have all this complexity and drama. i get why people see them that way.

1

Opposite-Bit6660 Apr 1, 2026 +1

Absolutely. We are poisoning many animals to death with burning oil in the air and water through this stupid war. What right do we have to do this? All so men can feel big.

1

West-Resolution8159 Apr 1, 2026 +1

I agree with the exception of wasps/hornets/variations

1

jellomizer Apr 1, 2026 +1

Dolphins, Whales can be real jerks to each other. But innocents is mainly a cultural context of behaviors. Being that non-human animals are not expected to follow human cultures, so we can claim innocence for them.

1

smellyfeet25 Apr 1, 2026 +1

They are. Animals are innocent. They cannot do wrong like humans do because they do not know right from wrong

1

somnambulantDeity Apr 1, 2026 +1

I think of it more as a power dynamic that determines responsibility. We humans are usually more empowered by our wits, opposable thumbs and technology. This makes us overall responsible for animals in most situations. We are also generally speaking less enslaved to our instincts (think of cats not being able to resist little moving objects). Of course we also operate on a wide scale of this generalisation. Some of us, usually people who have not had the benefit of good upbringing, environment, genetics etc, cannot be as responsible as others. But this is a topic for another discussion.

1

themagicbong Apr 1, 2026 +1

I think if you swapped us for any other animal and gave them equal capacity for intelligence as we have, that they'd likely end up coming to a lot of the same conclusions. A lot of the doomer "humans suck" type stuff you see said basically every moment on Listnook would be echoed just the same by whatever replaced us. And they, too, would likely value themselves above all other life like we mostly do. Not saying we think ourselves necessarily superior, but we certainly value ourselves more. As would any species filling our role. Not saying any given example of life has more claim to existing than another. But I myself would save a human baby over literally any other animal if we were in some trolley problem-esque scenario where it was the human baby or the other organism. In fact I think that you wouldn't get to the "top" as it were, without that level of sticking together.

1

hyrulian_princess Apr 1, 2026 +1

They are

1

Vic_Hedges Apr 1, 2026 +1

what does “innocent” mean in this regard?

1

GlorifiedCarny Apr 1, 2026 +1

They are because with the possible exception of some primates, they lack the intent that humans possess. If an animal attacks someone, it's out of fear or instinct, whereas humans possess the ability to do evil things just for entertainment purposes. Edit: Some theories also posit that cetaceans have this ability as well. But your average cat/dog/horse etc do not.

1

Ok-Beach1451 Apr 1, 2026

Dolphins remove any of my viewing animals as innocent.

0

ThatNiceDrShipman Apr 1, 2026

There's so much we can learn from animals! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filial_cannibalism

0

Terrible-Praline7938 Apr 1, 2026

Both my animals are cunning manipulators. Not innocent at all

0

daddydrank Apr 1, 2026

Seems like a stupid theory to preemptively forgive yourself for doing nothing to save/protect any humans. How could every human; child to adult, rich to poor be guilty? I don't think I could trust the morals of a person who makes judgements so broadly.

0

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