Human Idiocracy

Vegans are often quoted as being 'anti-human'.  One of the reasons for most people being vegan is to be part of the solution to end world hunger.  Another is to aid the halt of environmental destruction to the planet that we all share.  Both reasons center around humans so hardly human hating qualities.  However, sometimes, just sometimes, I really dislike humans. That's because it is all too easy for some humans to piss you off.  When a dog does something wrong, there is normally a really good reason and it makes it much easier to understand but humans, well they are really very very stupid and unthinking sometimes.  That I really don't understand.

Dislike of people that cause harm in any shape or form aside (that is a given really), I find some day to day activities of some people beyond comprehension.  Take the example in the photo above.  This is in the car park of the beach we are fortunate enough to live next to. One evening recently I watched whilst more and more people piled their rubbish on or next to this dog waste bin.  It is clearly marked as dog waste only and the National Trust have also added a sign above it asking people to not leave their rubbish here but to place it in the skip a few metres away instead.  I even mentioned to people who were adding to the pile this fact but predominately to no avail.  Because one unthinking person put their rubbish here, others haven't got the brain capacity to believe for themselves that this is wrong. Meanwhile, those criminals of the popular news press, the seagulls are circling waiting to take advantage of the juicy remnants within and who can blame them?  Well, probably the same people who left the rubbish there in the first place because there is no connection, no consequence in their minds, no thought.  

Some people refer to this kind of thing as the 'sheep effect'.  You know the kind of thing; you find a nice empty spot on the beach or a campsite and others are soon along to nestle in alongside you.  Only this weekend we found a spot a mile off a moorland road to park up for a quiet night in the camper.  The car park was big enough for about 20 cars but just before dark a big white camper van arrived and parked just 5ft away from us with no sensitivity to personal space or privacy. Why do people do this?  Sheep follow each other for safety but applied to humans it makes no sense in everyday living.

The more people are inclined to follow others, the less likely positive change will happen.  It isn't humans I hate sometimes, it is their lack of questioning, sensitivity and common sense. Now you could argue that surely some people follow the vegan way of life and the more of us that do this the better.  That is a positive thing yes, but to get to that point in the first place the person has actually questioned, been open and sensitive.  They have broken away from following the path that most people are trudging down.  They have actually bothered to read the map and the signposts.  That's the difference.  Those kinds of humans I love and can understand.