It's a moral failing to love dogs

 16 August 2022

I don't like dogs. Dogs are ew. A lot of people think this is crazy. We co-evolved with dogs and they're cute, I should like pet dogs. I've been asked "why not?" many times and I'm like, I just said I don't like them, do you really wanna have this conversation.


I could make up excuses like "it's not a healthy emotional bond, it's not a therapist" 

"they're too much work for not enough reward" 

"why does your dog get to live but all the cows and chickens die for your dinner?" 

"Plants and fruit trees are better" 

"you're projecting your feelings onto it which is unfair to the dog" 

"you yell at the dog all the time and are it's only source of food and shelter, you have an abusive relationship with it" All of which are objectively true statements, but the real reason I don't like dogs is because I don't like dogs. I just don't. 


The other problem is all those excuses are fighting words. I've condescended to whoever likes dogs, I've even passively accused dog people of having a lower morality than me. I've failed at loving dogs, so I need to convince myself and others that it's actually a moral failing to love dogs. 


I have to convince myself of the moral high ground for other things. Like, I don't have any money, so I have to claim being rich is bad actually. I'm a sexual minority, so I have to convince myself that heteros are privileged and boring. I'm bad at team sports, so I claim that team sports inspire violence and nationalism. (Shout out to all the riots in Tucson when the U of A loses a basketball game. Lol don't ever change Tucson) There's Aesop's fable the fox and the grapes, the fox had to convince himself that the out-of-reach grapes were sour anyway.


But this claim for the moral high ground separates me from my fellow human beings. These people asking about my distaste for dogs are probably doing it innocently enough, they're not challenging my morality, they probably just wanna be friendly. But there's this weird unspoken competition about who among us is the most honest, righteous, healthy, moral and pious. Do other people feel this competition? Or is this just me that has to grasp at straws to the moral high ground?


Some examples: With prisons, we all know the absolute horrors that go on in prison, but we convince ourselves that the criminals deserve this inhumane punishment. 


Fox news lately has been claiming LGBTQ people are "groomers." So we can justify rejecting gay marriage and trans healthcare or job opportunities for LGBTQ people. This one hurts me a lot. I get that returning the dehumanization to straight people isn't solving anything, but I'm objectively the victim here, and sometimes I get mad about it.


Jesus claimed pacifism and forcing people to confront their barbaric beliefs is better than retaliating tooth for tooth. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 5:38 "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." Now, I love Jesus, I think He's a fantastic moral compass, but the morality of His time was tooth for tooth, that's what was fair and moral. And Jesus, as the son of God, can decide how people should live and change the morals that people are expected to have. (Please take me out to dinner and we can talk about the morality of Christianity)


On dating apps it's like acceptable to say "if my dog doesn't trust you neither do I" 🙄 this is just so idiotic. I know it's mostly a joke, but it's separating us into 2 very stupid camps: People who the dogs have deemed worthy and people who the dogs have condemned to exile and shame. Why does your freaking dog have that power. It's just a dog. And for the record, dogs freaking love me. 


In any case, if you love your dog, you should probably keep that to yourself. I'll have to make up more and more wild excuses if you press the issue too much. In fact, by asking me why I don't like dogs, you're inviting me to push you away. I know this is a silly example, but the principle can be applied to politics and religion and family relationships and most conflicts. When I have to defend my position, I'm not humble and collaborative and welcoming.


Sometimes it's not noble to stand up for what you believe in, maybe it's better to change your mind. (Dogs are ew though. Probably not gonna budge on this one.) Love you all.

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