[lit-ideas] Re: I think I'll come back as a squirrel next time
- From: Andy Amago <aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2004 13:08:40 -0400 (GMT-04:00)
-----Original Message-----
From: Carol Kirschenbaum <carolkir@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Aug 28, 2004 12:00 PM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: I think I'll come back as a squirrel next time
> A life of sisyphusistic nut lugging, while threatened by dogs, foxes,
fleas,
> eagles, snakes and rabies?
ck: No wonder squirrels look nervous! But Andy envies these squirrelly,
antsy little creatures because their compulsive behavior shows that they're
so gosh darn happy.
As Andy says, expressing an anthropomorphism rarely expressed outside of
children's books, "They *love* what they do, or they would have killed
themselves long ago."
A.A. Brilliant observation Carol, that saying a squirrel enjoys doing
something is anthropomorphic, but saying it looks nervous is not
anthropomorphic. I like it.
C.K. I gather that Andy believes lab rats on running wheels are happy, or they
wouldn't stay on those wheels or run those mazes. Any creature doing its
natural rutting thing is happy. By this easy definition of happiness, every
critter on the planet is happiest when copulating. And that may be the truth
of it. Maybe Sisyphus an the oracle had an arrangement behind the rock.
A.A. And I gather that the lab rats you know throw themselves in the cages,
lock the doors, and force themselves to run those mazes, which accounts for
their unhappiness. I like that too. Actually, you're right. The two drives
of life on earth are food and copulation, which would leave all animals
deliriousy happy, including humans, at least the ones who are "getting enough".
BTW, how do you define happiness?
Andy Amago
weekending,
Carol
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