“Food for Thought”

By Jim Culp

Our (human) have brains that allow traditional cognitive or rational interpretations of others which affect the way we understand thought. The notion of the fundamental role of non-cognitive understanding is inherent in humans; the only mammal capable of doing so.

Thinking allows humans to make sense of, interpret, represent or model the world they experience, and to make predictions about that world. It is therefore helpful to an organism with needs, objectives, and desires as it makes plans or otherwise attempts to accomplish those goals.

That is why humans go on trial when they choose to murder or rape another human. They can even be placed on trial for murdering or raping other animals.

The definitive difference in our brains and those of other animals is this: We (humans) have the ability of cognitive thought, or in simple terms…to think.

In the cute examples above, these domestic animals have not had a parent teach them to hunt and kill. They do not need to do so. In domestic life or as a wild beast on the plains, they would have to be caught critical skills to survive. They do not need to be taught that in domestic settings. Besides humans, some other animals can be taught to do amazing things; like a dog that places his toys back in the box and goes and retrieves his leash for his master to walk him. Another example is an ape like Koko the gorilla, an ape that learned sign language and over 2,000 spoken English words.

Humans, however, have the ability of cognitive thought, and reasoning. When we are born, we do not know a language, a culture, or a religion. We are taught those things. Parents teach their children positive things every day, and parents teach their children negative things all day. In 1943-45 Germany, children were taught that all other humans (besides Germans) were lesser humans, and that certain other races were born on the earth to be slaves, or simple to be eradicated.

Similarly, many children in the USA today are taught that when they act up, it is perfectly acceptable for Daddy to come into the room, pull off a leather belt, and beat them. The next morning, Mommy tells little Billy that Daddy did not like beating him, and he loves him. That Mommy and Daddy were taught that by their parents, and they by theirs.

Children are taught that it is ok to shame other children because they are not in the same social class as they are. Other parents teach their children that it is ok to hit someone if they piss you off.

If our children are never taught violence, hatred, and hypocrisy, they would never know that it is OK to do so. Nowadays, children (sometimes at very young ages) are either playing video games or have their own smartphones and have the same access to everything on the internet that his parents do. This is the reason that children are so arrogant these days. They have been indoctrinated by the World Wide Web while their parents were taking “Mom and Dad” time of for hours a week.

Think about it.

-Jim