What does it mean to be a human? Imagine if we had to explain this concept to an alien, what would we say to describe our way of life. This is how I picture sympathetic imagination. With the image of the tigers and bunnies above, the bunnies do not know they are not tiger cubs and yet they put themselves in the role of how a tiger cub would act. Could animals understand this concept of sympathetic imagination?
It is not an easy task to put ourselves in another person's shoes, but to imagine ourselves as an animal is even more of a stretch. In the reading today, I read about Rick Bass' Odyssey. He was very descriptive and specific when speaking from the hound's point of view. Dogs are intelligent creatures who are very loyal to their owner. When the hound said, "he wrote me off, sold me off and out but I still love him", (422) I felt the unconditional love and trust from this dog. The narrator is the alpha dog and through her voice we could hear her pride of her place. Bass' excerpt of Homer's story was very touching.
So I ask again what does it mean to be human? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, we are "distinguished from animals by superior mental development, power of articulate speech, and upright posture." (418B) Having those characteristics in mind, it is no wonder we have the ability to use sympathetic imagination towards our friends, family, and other inhabitants on Earth.
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