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[INFJ] Dear INFJs: Do you love animals?

cafe

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Sort of.

I love my dog, but taking care of the physical needs of other living creatures is not something I particularly enjoy. My husband is probably the only exception, but he is a low-maintenance, easy to please INTP.

Animals are lovable in many ways and some of the best 'people' I've known have been dogs, but they are a lot of work and a lot of the work is kinda gross.

We currently have four pets and I do not plan on getting any more of them once these die, though I could see the possibility of one (grandchild friendly) dog when we are empty nesters.
 

visaisahero

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I'm back!

To answer the questions; my INFJ girlfriend of 6-7 years always asks me to promise her that we would get dogs and cats if and when we moved in together. I side-step it because I think it's rather silly to promise something so certain in the midst of such a vague future- it's kind of cute sometimes but it gets quite annoying when she keeps harping on it every so often!

For the longest time I thought she was obsessed with getting an animal, but I asked her about it and she says she's obsessed with getting me to promise her that we'll get them. (Apparently, this is because she's always asked her parents and they always say no- and if we do move in together she'd get them anyway regardless of my stance on the matter- she just wants me to agree with her! What a stubborn cunt! <3)

Ragingkatsuki:

You amuse me, man! :D You remind me of the INTJ I chit-chat with at the coffee-shop near my place. Why so anxious to smell something fishy? I think I can speak for most ENTPs when I say that we seldom actually have a clearly-defined purpose behind our actions- we tend to improvise along the way. The topic was started to get a feel for the general sentiment before I got more specific.

Lauren Ashley:

Wow, you're an observant one. I will be watching you. *creepy stalker music*
 

visaisahero

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So animals are likable because they are more straight-forward, honest, simple-minded and unlikely to harbor ulterior motives, right?

By that reasoning, would it be inaccurate to suggest that "simple-minded" people (whether autistic, mentally retarded or otherwise) should subsequently be more likable as well? I mean, don't they technically make more loyal and honest friends? Think of characters like Christopher in The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time, Charly in Flowers For Algernon and Raymond Babbit in Rainman...

So taking this line of (possibly faulty) reasoning, would it be wrong to call animal lovers who are uncomfortable dealing with autistic or mentally retarded people hypocrites? I don't think that "Animals and humans are different!" is a decent response, especially if you previously choose to blur the line between humans and animals (as I would) and value animals for their human-like attributes such as the ability to feel emotion, as a previous poster mentioned.

I've diverged from the main point of the thread but I would love to hear your views on this as well; I think it's somewhat relevant (and at least interesting at worst)
 

Thursday

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They are another species that communicates in the most basic and important ways
i love them much
 

Grace

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Some. I like dogs because they are loyal. I like monkeys because they are smart. Cats are pretty much worthless unless you have an overabundance of mice or something. I think Dolphins are really inherently evil.
 

Grace

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I'm back!

To answer the questions; my INFJ girlfriend of 6-7 years always asks me to promise her that we would get dogs and cats if and when we moved in together. I side-step it because I think it's rather silly to promise something so certain in the midst of such a vague future- it's kind of cute sometimes but it gets quite annoying when she keeps harping on it every so often!

For the longest time I thought she was obsessed with getting an animal, but I asked her about it and she says she's obsessed with getting me to promise her that we'll get them. (Apparently, this is because she's always asked her parents and they always say no- and if we do move in together she'd get them anyway regardless of my stance on the matter- she just wants me to agree with her! What a stubborn cunt! <3)

This 100% sounds like something I would do, by the way. Have you seen Team America where the girl puppet makes the guy puppet promise that he will never die before she will have sex with him? And the man puppet just looks at her with a straight face and says "I promise, I will never die." Then they have sex. That is pretty much my relationship with my ENTP boyfriend.
 

cafe

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So animals are likable because they are more straight-forward, honest, simple-minded and unlikely to harbor ulterior motives, right?

By that reasoning, would it be inaccurate to suggest that "simple-minded" people (whether autistic, mentally retarded or otherwise) should subsequently be more likable as well? I mean, don't they technically make more loyal and honest friends? Think of characters like Christopher in The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time, Charly in Flowers For Algernon and Raymond Babbit in Rainman...

So taking this line of (possibly faulty) reasoning, would it be wrong to call animal lovers who are uncomfortable dealing with autistic or mentally retarded people hypocrites? I don't think that "Animals and humans are different!" is a decent response, especially if you previously choose to blur the line between humans and animals (as I would) and value animals for their human-like attributes such as the ability to feel emotion, as a previous poster mentioned.

I've diverged from the main point of the thread but I would love to hear your views on this as well; I think it's somewhat relevant (and at least interesting at worst)
Autistics are pretty cool. As the parent of two, though, I have to say I am a little nonplussed at the comparison, but then again, it's probably a comparison Temple Grandin would make, so what can I say?

I am not uncomfortable around autistics that function at at least moderate level, nor am I uncomfortable around people with mild to moderate mental retardation. I prefer the human specimens because they are more likely to be self-sufficient less likely to relieve themselves in inconvenient places.

Profoundly retarded/low-functioning autistic could be hard to deal with because basic life/communication skills would be lacking. But I don't consider myself an animal lover and I have mixed feelings about people, so I guess that lets me out of that particular brand of hypocrisy. :alttongue:
 

visaisahero

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Autistics are pretty cool. As the parent of two, though, I have to say I am a little nonplussed at the comparison, but then again, it's probably a comparison Temple Grandin would make, so what can I say?

It is an uncomfortable comparison I admit, but I must emphasize that I do so only in the spirit of discussion and intend no offence whatsoever. :)

There are two ways of looking at it- If you hold animals in high regard and believe that their loyalty, honesty and other positive traits make them "superior" to run-of-the-mill human beings (who are disloyal, dishonest, etc etc), then the comparison should logically be considered a positive one. Alternatively, if you consider animals to be inferior, simplistic, inhuman, etc- then the comparison may appear insulting or offensive.

The interesting situation is when, for example, one holds animals in high regard, but views the comparison negatively- that's when an inconsistency (or sublime complexity) in his/her psyche is revealed. :shock: I think a lot of it has to do with our language itself- the term 'animal' when used to describe a human being traditionally has strong negative connotations.
 

Froody Blue Gem

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I've been an animal lover since a young age. There is such a variety of them, animals of all kinds, birds, fish reptiles, and mammals. Birdwatching is fun as well, setting up food in a theatre, seeing who decides to show up.

How many of them can be intelligent, have their own little lives. Horses are social animals, going riding, learning to understand them, just observing the body language, there is a lot someone can learn. Watching the documentary "Animal Odd Couples" friendship can span different species. i.e a horse and a goat, an owl and a cat, a cheetah and a dog, etc. Us humans have so much trouble getting along but they have no problem. There is a lot of violence in the animal kingdom, but there are positive little stories like that.

I've also been a fan of prehistoric animals. The marine reptiles, wooly rhinos, now feathery once scaly dinosaurs. Our understanding of them has changed, and it changes our understanding of the world as it is today. Since I was little, I had trouble connecting with humans, but my lifelong love of animals began with dogs.
 

neko 4

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I love cats and am fond of other animals. Cats have been great companions for me for my entire life. They're cute, cuddly, yet also independent.
 

staticundertones

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I do love animals. I feel very humbled when an animal wants my attention. What an amazing thing that is for such a small creature to want something from me, to choose to bond with me, or to any person.
 

cacaia

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I love animals. Actually, we're not anywhere removed from them. We are also animals and are part of that bond. I think all animals should be treated with decency. This is something humans don't do well. Putting cows and pigs in tight containers,using them for our own selfish reasons. Animals should be more respected than that.
 

Lexicon

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*hissing intensifies*

You're full of shit.

Oh quiet. 99.9999999999% is more than enough. Even the hissy ones come around eventually. *pat*

Rest of my old post is absolutely full of shit. It’s almost a decade old. I was all emotionally repressed and silly, then, so I’ll amend my prior post.

Yes, I love animals. Id probably choose their company over most humans. And cats more than any other. They’re so much simpler than people.
I hate bears, though. They’ve ruined camping for me. Rather, bear-mauling survivor Reddit A.M.A’s have ruined camping for me. Stupid apex predators.
 

Agent Washington

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I like some animals, I guess. It's fascinating to watch them because they're so innately different from us. I feel empathic towards them. It's odd.
 

EcK

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I like animals because they're tasty.
 
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