emotions

I would rather feel pain, and know pain, than not. If I have not felt pain, I do not know what tru happiness is.

Do you think that animals have emotions.
Are their brains complex enough to support human emotions.
And is there any need for them to have evolved with emotion to survive.

there is no need for humans to have evolved emotion to survive.........emotion is simply a bi-product of intelligence. And yes.....animals do have enough intelligence to have the bi-product.....otherwise they wouldn't even be trainable. They wouldn't be intelligent enough to associate you saying the word "sit" with their bodies physically sitting and be able to do so on command.

Emotion in it's simplest terms simply means "like" or "dislike"..........all other words we humans use to describe it are variable levels of like or dislike.

I like someone/something alot - happy
I dislike someone/something - sad
I dislike someone/something so much it eats at me - anger/mad
I dislike someone/something for having what I don't - jealousy

ofcourse animals have emotions. I know I'm not the only dog owner here..........doesn't your dog wag his tail and get excited when he sees you? He does this because he's happy. Doesn't your cat purr when he curls up on your lap and you pet him? He does this because he likes it when YOU pet him because he likes you.....he doesn't just purr for any stranger who runs their hands across his back.

Without emoting what is the point of living...

Without emotion and feelings, you're going to be like everything else around you...DEAD!!

Our emotions play a large role in who we are as people. They are also a source of our passions, and those are what motivate us to act in the first place.

Originally posted by Storm
Our emotions play a large role in who we are as people. They are also a source of our passions, and those are what motivate us to act in the first place.

I agree. Emotions give this life flavor and a sense of meaning. I would hate to live numb and indifferent as a plant most likely does.

Emotions makes one feel and are the seeds of growth, kinda opposite of intellect. Intellect alone will not give any meaning to life nor let you experience it. Emotions are for that purpose. Without emotions life is nothing but a hollow shell of knowledge. A book of pages and nothing more.

Emotions can give us strength in our darkest of times, or then can make us weak, when we need to be strong.

In my opinion, they give most people good balance.

Most of all, they define who we are, and give us our individuality.

Originally posted by debbiejo
Without emotions life is nothing but a hollow shell of knowledge. A book of pages and nothing more.

Very true, emotion gives meaning to what we experience.

Originally posted by Whittdawg92
why do we have them. they are useless to me, but unfortunantly i have expeiriend pain, love, sadness etc. WHY THE HECK DO I HAVE EMOTIONS

Emotions allow us to better understand how to react to various situations. Each emotion is a signal for a set of responses which are acceptable and give proper information to those around us as to our current state while reducing the level physical arousal being experienced. This returns the body to its normal level of homeostasis.

Now, that is the scientific explanation of why we have emotions, it is not particularly philosophical, but it is the explanation.

Emotions put us in motion, the most primal ones being fight or flight.

Originally posted by Mindship
Emotions put us in motion, the most primal ones being fight or flight.

The one thing I want to know is do mood rings change our emotions? 😱 When mine turns red, I get so depressed.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
The one thing I want to know is do mood rings change our emotions? 😱 When mine turns red, I get so depressed.

Originally posted by Mindship
Then remove it from thy finger. smartass

You are why too simplistic about this kind of think. If I did that, it would turn back and I would die. 😱 😆 jk

Originally posted by Evil Dead
ofcourse animals have emotions. I know I'm not the only dog owner here..........doesn't your dog wag his tail and get excited when he sees you? He does this because he's happy. Doesn't your cat purr when he curls up on your lap and you pet him? He does this because he likes it when YOU pet him because he likes you.....he doesn't just purr for any stranger who runs their hands across his back.

I have a dog too. A Yellow Labridor named Jeter lol

He has made obvious displays of happiness, depression, excitement, boredom, and jealousy

He also tends to have biases towards certain people and animals...i dont know why lol

Kind of a silly thing to think animal don't have emotions. Granted not all of them have emotions and few have more complex emotions. but as ED and LU said animals certainly have emotions.

Without sadness, there can be no happiness. Without tears, there can be no laughter. Without grief, there can be no joy.

Just as, without death, there can be no life.

are we making any distinction between emotions and feelings here, because in my mind they are synonymous. It may be difficult imagine the emotional life of animals, but I think it is pretty ridiculous to deny that they feel anything.

my question is why do even the most basic life forms show reactivity to stimuli. Could this somehow be interpreted as a form of consciousness or feeling, and if not, what is considered to be the essential difference between things considered to be "alive" and things that are not/inorganic.

Originally posted by Whittdawg92
why do we have them. they are useless to me, but unfortunantly i have expeiriend pain, love, sadness etc. WHY THE HECK DO I HAVE EMOTIONS

call them emotions or call them feelings. Call them whatever you want... they are nothing but thoughts... there is no such thing as an emotion its a thought... they all serve you no good. they are useless...

As with all questions of a biological nature, the answer to "why" is as follows:

"At some point in history there was a survival advantage for organisms that X over those that did not"

In this case, being able to emotionally evaluate stimuli was a survival advantage over those organisms that could not.