It's possible that disrepect towards animals including harmless bugs is a bad influence on how we treat people

I’m not like super into trigger warnings, but if you’re gonna read up on industrial meat production, you need to be emotionally prepared.

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)

Even everyone is a psychopath, no one is.

I kill bugs all over the place. Only a matter of time before I take my neighbor out.

No but seriously, the torturing animals thing is a big sign.

Well, it did say harmless. Mosquitoes cause more than 700000 deaths per year.

I agree

idk I'd feel bad stepping on a snail...maybe it's the size or the crunch. But smaller insect ye i dont care.

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

I think there are two main reasons:

1. insects don't emote in a way we can preserve. 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.

2. 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 think there is a difference.

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.

Probably because most invertebrates are not known to be sentient?

Were they bullies?

The fun in fishing is that you get to just sit there, have a beer, and turn your brain off. There really isn't an expectation to be super busy while fishing. If you have a busy lifestyle, then an occasional "turn your brain off" is super nice.

There are a bunch of other ways to do that without hurting animals too, though.

I had to stop playing a recent BG3 save where I was trying a character who sometimes randomly kills people.

I teach my kids not to kill bugs unless they are doing something bad or dangerous, otherwise just move them.

Killing things should not be a default action for convenience sake.

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).

Point proven.

Including ladybugs?

By you maybe