Even more impressive when you remember that their bodies mean a lot more to them since they don’t have as much of a mental life. Their identities are not invested in writing novels or signing petitions or winning elections.
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I’ve been hearing more and more about body integrity dysphoria (BID) lately. It sounds like phantom limb syndrome in reverse. I wonder if animals can have this or it requires a primate+ level brain capable of having a body image at all. Mirror test etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_integrity_dysphoria …
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This is kinda my folk theory of this sort of thing. X-axis: increasing brain complexity. Y-axis: increasing abstraction of identity and associated glitch conditions. From phantom limb and sleep paralysis on the low complexity end to gender dysphoria on the high end.
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The mirror test, if you think about it (the recognition test not the phantom limb therapy) implies a primitive self model that can get arbitrarily complex and abstract and incorporate verbally coded theories of self for verbal species.
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Venkatesh Rao Retweeted One Walleee - NO SURRENDER
In general, this cat represents an aspirational state (ht
@selentelechia for finding video) for me, in terms of capacity to handle trauma. How can humans heal mentally this efficiently without giving up higher brain capacities? https://twitter.com/onewalleee/status/1279647375552897028?s=21 …https://twitter.com/onewalleee/status/1279647375552897028 …Venkatesh Rao added,
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Venkatesh Rao Retweeted Mask-Wearin Marcus Detry
Exhibit B: https://twitter.com/marcusdetry/status/1280983099388465152?s=21 …https://twitter.com/MarcusDetry/status/1280983099388465152 …
Venkatesh Rao added,
Mask-Wearin Marcus Detry @MarcusDetryReplying to @vgrWe are big dog rescue people and it’s amazing to see how they adapt from not just physical trauma but severe psychological trauma. Two things dogs do that people can learn a lot from - live in the present, and love unconditionally. pic.twitter.com/S8zxNxt4KM1 reply 0 retweets 2 likesShow this thread -
Venkatesh Rao Retweeted Thomas Read
Exhibit C: https://twitter.com/thjread/status/1280985256863162368?s=21 …https://twitter.com/thjread/status/1280985256863162368 …
Venkatesh Rao added,
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Venkatesh Rao Retweeted gk
Exhibit D https://twitter.com/illiteralworst/status/1280979209125539847?s=21 …https://twitter.com/illiteralworst/status/1280979209125539847 …
Venkatesh Rao added,
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That said animals can of course get mentally traumatized and show long-term effects. We had one cat that was super scared and high strung all his life, from the day we got him. Really fragile. Hid under the bed for days when we first brought him home. Hid from all visitors.
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He was a year old when we got him, 11 when he died. Never really healed. Overate, got obese, was super needy. But could relax and play when he felt secure. Saddest cat ever. Always had a bit of a stressed, hunted look. Tended to stay ground level instead of climb high.
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We never did figure out why. We got him from the shelter at age 1, but he’d apparently lived outdoors before. Maybe he was abused or got bullied by other cats.
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