But what are considered levels of intelligence? How and who defines them? Do you think that some Meerschweinchen are way smarter than some people?
Throughout my experiences, I do believe so. Just because animals cannot speak or read, for instance, does not automatically indicate that they cannot think or feel. When comparing one species of animals to another, or even to humans, we can see different degrees of intelligence.
So, we are deceiving ourselves into thinking that, for thousands of years we are more intelligent than the rest of the animal kingdom. And that, despite growing evidence these days to the opposite. Of course, I do not deny that we, human animals, are smart when it comes to doing what needs to be done to survive. But other species may be way smarter than we are, believe or think.
Intelligence is Relative
Numerous animals have exceptional brains, but most people purely misunderstand many of their abilities. There are now facts that crows, dogs, octopuses or koalas, just to name a few, reveal superior intelligence. It is widespread truth in the animal kingdom. In some cases, animals possess greater reasoning faculties than any human being. So, some of them are probably way smarter.
And some of their actions or behaviors cannot merely be considered instinct. When we look at various animals, we often cannot do what they do. Sometimes, the way they act or the things they do are very complicated, like a bat flying in the dark. These creatures can capture flying insects in midair directly with echolocation.
So, it does not only takes instinct but a lot of brainpower to realize such feat. Yet we do not pay attention to these kinds of things because we think it is irrelevant. Most people do not evaluate the skills of animals, but rather compare them to ours in term of intelligence. As long as they cannot reason, speak, or read, then they must not be as bright as we are.
Outlining Who is Way Smarter
Through the ages, the ruling classes, from religion to scholars, do repeat that same belief: “We, humans are incomparable because we are the cleverest being in the animal kingdom.” They also pretend that animals have no soul or feelings. However, science and life show us that animals do have feelings, a soul, and reasoning faculties which makes them way smarter than we think.
So, this belief of thinking that we are superior in intelligence goes back some ten thousand years ago. It started when man created agriculture, farms, and domestication of animals. It then gained momentum with the beliefs of religion, which regarded humans as the principal species in creation.
But does it mean that our intelligence is at a higher level? Of course not; they are just of different types. When a foreigner tries to talk to you using an imperfect, flawed or broken version of your language, your first impression is that they are not very smart. But the truth is entirely different.
The Unconditional Love of Animals
When it comes to animals, they are way smarter than what we tend to give them credit for. They are just smart on their own terms, which often look nothing like yours or mine. I believe we can learn a lot of things from them such as love, empathy, and compassion. So when they care, you can witness that they genuinely do; it is not just a fake disguise like human beings do.
