Our animal counterparts have quite a few lessons to offer (the value of napping, for one). Humans are fundamentally social animals, and in learning to coexist more peacefully, the animal kingdom could teach us a thing or two. We can find love and companionship anywhere including the wild kingdom. While oftentimes human may think that we have already know everything like how to foster successful relationships, there are still a few things that animals can teach us… make that ten tricks!
Catcalls only work in the animal kingdom
While the male Mandarin Duck may find the occasional success by barking and whistling at an attractive female, most construction workers report a much different experience. Studies show that the catcall arouses negative feelings in not only the female subject, but also the surrounding witnesses. If you really want to make a bad impression on just about everybody in hearing distance, this is one way to do it!
Women prefer masculine body language
When the Blue Bird-of-paradise finds an attractive mate, he will hang upside down from a branch, rhythmically contract the feathers on his chest, arch his tail feathers, and call to her in a low, sexy voice. Studies show the majority of men will puff their chest and deepen their voice as a means of using body language to attract women. Even more amazing, it sometimes works.
Holding hands encourages love
Male and female African elephants gently caress and intertwine their trunks as a sign of affection and love for each other. Studies show that the act of holding hands in people releases the hormone oxytocin, which encourages heath, love, security, and happiness.
Women like stones
The Adelie Penguins live in small nests made of stone, and one of the ways a male can get on his female’s good side (enforce bond, initiate courtship ritual), is to bring her a carefully chosen stone as a gift. All women dream of the moment her chosen prince will bring her a stone (the 24 karat variety usually works best), and this moment is more important to her than most men will ever realize.
Morality and apologizing
The K-9 society follows a very strict code of moral conduct. When dogs play fight, they are taught as pups to follow certain rules, otherwise they’re ostracized from the pack. When playing, all dogs must use proper etiquette, such as handicapping their strengths so that a playmate does not become injured. If an injury does occur, the instigator is expected to bow in apology (and mean it) before continuing with play. Birds do it… dogs do it… but not all educated humans do it!
Can’t we all just get along?
Some folks are cat people, others are dog people; some snakes cuddle with hamsters, while others choose to eat them. The animal kingdom has shown us that friendship and love have no boundaries. A rat snake was documented in a Japanese zoo as befriending his dinner (a hamster), resulting in this rather odd couple being filmed “cuddling” together. If a snake and a hamster can get along, anyone can!
Sex is fun
While the majority of the animal kingdom uses sex for procreation purposes, the ones with the higher brain development also use it for romance and recreation. Dusky Dolphins live in rather promiscuous societies, where they engage in frequent, group sex acts to strengthen the bonding between societal members. In the human kingdom, however, most couples prefer creating that bond one lover at a time (I said most).
Give of yourself, just not pieces of yourself
Male masked Boobies attract a female’s attention by offering small tokens of themselves in the form of feathers. Now, we all know that Van Gogh tried this very same tactic with a portion of his ear wrapped in a box. He unfortunately found very limited success. According to national surveys, the majority of women (29 percent) prefer clothes as a gift, but giving a “stone” is pretty nice too.
Nature’s booty call
Baboons also live in rather promiscuous (sex loving) societies, where women learned to shake their booty in the air to gain male attention. Dance clubs all across the world see this very same act being played out for the very same reason. When actually consummating the sex act, the female baboon emits a distinctive groan, closing her mouth and puffing out her cheeks. In human terms, this means the male is doing a good job, and the police will be momentarily knocking at the front door.
Parenthood should know no boundary
There have been many stories passed down describing the dedication of a parent to their young, and nowhere has this been more celebrated than in the animal kingdom. Mother dogs have been documented nursing abandoned animals for centuries. However, one of the most unusual stories of this incredible drive was a wild male crow who was found looking after a female kitten, beak-feeding and protecting her from danger (traffic, predators, etc).
What do you think – what do animals have to teach us?
While the comparisons are interesting, it’s crucial to remember the context in which these animal behaviors occur. Human society has its own unique complexities.
Observing animals to learn about human interaction might be an underexplored area in social sciences. There’s potential for more research here.
The article is a reminder that the animal kingdom has its own set of complex social behaviors that can offer insights into human interactions.
The connection between human behavior and animal behavior is intriguing. It suggests that some of our social customs may be deeply ingrained in our biology.
The notion that animals can teach us about relationships and social norms is valuable. It challenges the idea that human civilization is entirely detached from nature.