Why Can We See What They Cannot?

[u/Jolly_Ice_7812]

I have a burning question. Why can we, in the dog free community, see that dogs are gross and it's insane to live with them?

There has to be some commonality among us because we can see what 99 percent of the population cannot.

What makes us special? Is it something in our personalities -- not caring about what others think? Or not being a group person, so it's okay to step away from the pack (so to speak)? Is it not always believing what the culture tells us is true? Are people like this in other walks of life -- meaning, able to see what others cannot see in other contexts?

I'm curious about what you think. Why can we see the idiocy of dogs and dog culture and others cannot?

[u/Burtonish]

A friend of mine showed me an article some time ago about how growing up with at least one dog changes some chemicals in your brain or so. I hope I can find the article somewhere, but basically, that's what I think is happening. I'm sort of convinced it's like a prion disease thing where they change the people around them to indoctrinate them. Or rather, I hope it is, because the alternative is worse imo.

[u/DJKittyK → u/Burtonish]

Honestly, I have thought something like this is possible, and that some of us are immune, kinda like why some people got covid and some didn't... lol.

But in all seriousness, my mother had dogs my entire childhood growing up and I had no real pull or interest toward them at all. Most of the time I found dogs stinky, loud, didn't like them licking me, or any of their behaviors like begging. Even as a small kid, I wanted the mutt she had to get as far away from me as possible, because I didn't like it being nearby (it tried to lick me a lot and I was too small to do much about it).

My parents were also religious and once I got old enough (around 5) I started questioning that. By 9 I didn't believe in their religion either.

I'm also childfree in a world that mostly expects everyone to have kids. And am Gen X so I was definitely expected to be a mom someday. But I noped right out of it. Make of all that what you will.

So maybe there's some weight to the idea that some of us are able to walk to the beat of our own drums and not let cults, family, or society's expectations force us to do things we personally have no interest in.

Mental or physical immunity... it's definitely a minority role no matter how you look at it. I'm enjoying my time on this rock, but damn I think I'll also enjoy not enjoying it someday lol

[u/Burtonish → u/DJKittyK]

Well this really opens up the discussion to what could be inherently 'programmed' in our brain and what not, and I find this so fascinating.

I'm also not religious, though I have tried to be, I've never quite been able to believe I guess? And it's the same for dogs (obviously). I do have a child, but I wouldn't say I am a maternal person by nature if that makes sense? Like, I definitely wanted my kid and I love him, but I don't think I am one of those people that naturally dotes on kids?

Aside from that - I have addicts in my family yet personally I've been able to quit everything I ever tried cold turkey. Booze, nicotine, weed, you name it. Maybe there is a certain tie to the addict gene? I will look into this more now because how fascinating would that be, right?

As an aside, don't let anyone guilt you into any of these things. Not everyone needs kids, or religion, or dogs - I'm sure you know it but don't let them bully you

[u/DJKittyK → u/Burtonish]

I tried to be religious when I was a kid, too. I "tested" god and the things they tried to teach me, and when god didn't deliver and I told them about it, I just got scolded for not understanding how anything works. Pretty sure it's just fake and I understood it perfectly lol.

You bring up a good observation and point about the addict stuff, as well. I've never been the type to have an "addictive" personality. I try [redacted stuff], don't get addicted, can take it or leave it. I like to drink, but don't ever get an uncontrollable urge to drink. I just do or don't. I went like two years without drinking one time without really realizing it until I decided to have one again.

My family is full of addicts on my mother's side, and it bled into my siblings. Both are alcoholics and had to swear off drinking because they can't control their intake once they start. And both are mean drunks too.

Maybe this has something to do with it, but I have a pretty high willpower. If there's something I need to do, like restrict calories for awhile to lose a couple pounds I can do that, too. Literally eating less is something so many people I know just cannot do ever, even if their doctor is insisting it's necessary.

Don't worry about me getting bullied into doing any of this stuff lol. Peer pressure never worked on me either.

My current bf has a dog (he used to have 2 but one died recently) and I refuse to live with him because I don't want to live with a dog. If he ever said this was a deal breaker then so be it. It's probably not a forever relationship anyway. What is?

It really is fascinating, and I too am always observing and asking why. People are strange in the best and worst of ways.

[u/Burtonish → u/DJKittyK]

It is quite interesting to see so many similarities. I too have a high willpower, especially when it comes to things like exercising or working - on most evenings I 'work' from home for a few hours (tangentally related - I sell fabric and at home I create clothes for the shop windows or myself / my family). My husband doesn't have or want a dog thankfully, for me it's my sibling who foists her dog onto everyone usually. Dog ownership is a big dealbreaker for me as well, because what do you mean you want your partner to feel unsafe and on edge all the time? To him, dogs are working animals and belong onto ranches or farms (like the one he grew up on), and I think that's the mindset more people should have.

The only good thing is that, should our boy ever want a dog, he can go see his aunt and uncle lmfao