In addition to this, it's especially prevalent in lower income neighborhoods where people have limited job opportunities, dispoportionally affecting POC. Often as well to get citizenship opportunities in countries they will only accept you if you agree to work in a slaughterhouse, because no one else will.
I think it's taught there's some correlation between psychopathy and malicious treatment of animals, even small insects (capturing ants or spiders to pull their legs off, or similar behavior), but not casual disregard of the value of insect life or animals considered vermin (like stomping on bugs that startle you or using mouse traps to deal with infestation)
I asked myself this the other day: Why do I have empathy for most animals, but when it comes to insects, I just don't give a single fuck? If I accidentally stepped on a kitten I didn't see, I'd be emotionally fucked up. But when I step on a snail I didn't notice until hearing the crunch, I don't feel bad in the slightest.
It's not because they are pests, I don't think. I don't like killing mice and rats, either and opt for non-lethal means of removal if and when I have a problem with them in my home. But I'll straight genocide bugs in my space.
insects don't emote in a way we can perceive. The ones that do typically express it by secreting some kind of chemical which we either can't perceive or can't intuitively interpret. So if it's in pain, we can't really tell.
a lot of insects pose a challenge to our own survival. For example, insects getting into our food can make us sick. Some insects spread disease by contact or biting. This has caused humans to develop an instinct to fear, avoid, and/or kill insects on sight.
I feel awful when I step on a snail. But stuff like gnatt flies, it's like I've given your friends so much leverage letting them out and now you're taking advantage by breeding in my plants and flying into my nose
Basically all animals will attack other animals when they invade their home space. Even insects do so and it can be brutal. Speaking outside of human moral constructs, you wouldn't be out of line for killing a rat or even a cat that was unwelcome in your home. Life will do what it can to ensure survival.
But it's easier to feel empathy for what is more similar to us. So, mammals, for example. Domesticated and tame animals that have adapted to humans.
I suggest making small efforts to cultivate compassion even for the creepiest insects, by taking a cup, bowl, or piece of paper and taking them outside. Now it could be argued whether this is doing them any favors, but I feel better about that compared to just smashing them.
It may sound ridiculous but yes I did reach the point where I am affected by any life I take, and really strive to avoid it where possible. I have "mutual arrangements" with a variety of insects in my house, such as small spiders. They stay out of my way, and I let them take care of other insects that slip through the cracks.
Those were some really mature answers you got there. /s
The reason imo why we think its ok to treat bugs bad is because of hierarchy. We expect bugs to be beneath us and those who treat other humans bad largely come off as if others were beneath them. It is enforced through our competitive capitalist system. It gets drilled into us by playing mostly competitive games.
I think to solve this, one could ask why we rarely play cooperative games. Its always about domination and „proving yourself“. This benefits those in power because we‘re less likely to cooperate and not need their approval anymore. Its even in most movies.
Thats how we devalue bugs and other „vermin“. As someone who has lizards I touch grasshoppers (food) a lot and they are quite interesting and I cant stand if they die slowly. I‘m aware that their lives are worth something but I also aknowledge that my lizards need protein at times. I view it through the lens of potential. Humans have the potential to fly to the stars, bugs have the potential to keep our biodiversity running (=very important).
Had just clicked away from this post when I saw you comment. I need you to know that I came back just to ensure
I upvoted your post (or whatever we call those here).