[RaVeN]

So I was thinking last night *insert lame joke here about my intelligence*

For those that know me, I love the idea and theory of the human animal. And I don’t mean "human animal" as something that is mixed like Manbearpig or Centaurs or something, but it’s a term more related to our basic urges/primal selves.

I’m talking more about the idea of people being stripped of their societal conditioning, running off pure instinct.
That kind of human animal.

I sometimes like breaking myself down and trying to discover the territory between thought and reflex. Plus it makes for GREAT fun in the bedroom too! (Which is of course just another basic primal urge)

However, like I said, last night I came to a mental block when I found it odd that humans don’t have a "warning sign” like other animals do.

For example, when these animals feel threatened they:
Cats: Spit/Hiss
Dogs: Growl/show their teeth
Gorillas: Pound their chest
So on and so forth...

But humans don’t have a "given" one or what I thought was a natural/instinctual one. Not only that but when I had a dog (and when I play around with other ppls dogs) they sometimes growl and show their teeth, which is their warning sign of course. But when I would do it back to them it seemed to have little or no effect, like they aren’t scared at all.

Same goes for cats and hissing back at them. If anything it just made then madder.

So that made me lay awake in my bed and wonder how a threatening sign from an animal from the top of the food chain means nothing to lower animals, and if we were really, naturally, on top of the food chain.

And that's when it hit me! We do have a warning sign and it works almost every single time against dogs and cats and whatever else!

And it is very very common, something that we all do that scares animals and (if used correctly and in context) humans alike.

Anywho, I wanted to see if some ppl wanted to guess what the answer is before I give it. Because when I do give it everyone will be like "Oh! You're right! WOW!" At least that is what everyone at my work place said when I told them the answer.
There is no science behind this; it is just more of a realization of the instinctual truth.

This kept me up for 4 hours when I should have been sleeping...

(if you need a hint: Imagine a squirrel on a table outside eating your food and mentally record what body language you would use and actions you would realistically take to shoo away the squirrel.)

[Darfin]

Good thing I have first post on this because I think you and me are very much alike.

I think about pointless universal puzzles that no one thinks about all the time too.

Example:
How we label and classify things and species.
I was thinking about that everything in the world is obviously named and labeled by humans.
Such as the "fish."
The fish didn't choose it's own name. We came up with the word "Fish."
But when you think about it, fish don't think of themselves as fish! If you were to talk to a fish and call them a fish, they wouldn't know what the hell your talking about.

And I seriously got so deep into this and how we have the right to just label everything. Like with the most simple things like "Water."
We didn't create water, so why would we have the right to name it? Other species don't know the term "Water."

I thought about it and thought about it and I finally came up with an answer:
It's our right because we're the dominant species on this planet.

...duh.

[Darko]

We scream

[Kisame]

We make a fist and take a swing

[Kenshin]

i guess every human would have a diffrent warning sign.
darko: screams ( like a girl)
kisame = punches poor lil squirrells
me: i dont do anything. ( unless there in my house.. i.e a spider.. my warning sign is.. "you have 5 minutes to move or il squish you"

[Greed]

Paranoid humans: Pull out their desert eagles and go COD 4 on da thing!!!

FPS pplz: pull out their Sniper rifles and as FPS Doug would say "BOOM! HEADSHOT!!!"

Normal pplz: Slowly approach the squirrel. If it does something sudden we do what Kisame would do!

[Richard]

I am gonna guess and say eye contact

[Akimoto]

I wouldn't do anything. I like watching animals. It's like watching a lavalamp~ It's fascinating.

MISC:
-We* are taller than most animals we encounter daily
-Animals are afraid of what it dont understand (same as humans)
-We* make sounds. "SHoo!" "Rarr!" (Or atleast i do.)
-Fascial expressions!
-Imagine seeing a giant...ORC walking at you making "UUUURGG" sounds, how would you react? "OMG BIG THING MAKING WIERD SOUNDS DANGER!"

*Humans in general.

[RaVeN]

Oh wow, I did not expect this many posts!

But none of you have guessed the right answer yet.

"We make a fist and take a swing" -- this is already attacking, we are looking for a warning sign which is something you do before you strike.

"Fascial expressions!" -- is a good guess but this would go more or less just between humans that would know how to read them. But there are basic ones that I'm sure animals understand as well. But I dont know of a facial expression that will make an animal hightail it out of the area.

Also, if multiple animals do the action that your guessing too. (I.E. Scream and make loud vocal nosies) then your guess is most likely not going to be correct.

Think of something that only humans and maybe a few other animal species can do.


basically...it's rare. But for us it is common..because we do it

[Darko]

Scream
Piss ourselves.
Run.
Heart attack
Roar
Imitate animal noises
Pick up nearest weapon for defense
Look for the nearest escape
Think
Close our eyes
make ourselves look as big as possible

**** you raven xD

[RaVeN]

Scream
Piss ourselves.
Run.
Heart attack
Roar
Imitate animal noises
Pick up nearest weapon for defense
Look for the nearest escape
Think
Close our eyes
make ourselves look as big as possible

**** you raven xD

Nope to all, but making yourself look bigger is part of something that we do. But it is still not the key action we do. Loud noises are also a part of it but I’m looking for more specific action.

Comon guys you all know how to role play, put yourself instinctually in a corner, you’re in a situation where you would have to strike out if the opposition continues coming towards you. Think of a mountain lion or something.

Connect with your inner animal!

(If no one is able to guess it I will give the answer when I get home tonight from work)

[saunby]

Surely we swear/make finger signals at them?

[FlapJack23]

We tense as if we are about to attack. Like you pull your shoulders back and sort of glare or stare at it.

Here's the real way:

[Darko]

Attack?
If you cant go around something go through it.

[Richard]

Surely we swear/make finger signals at them?

Yep thats a mountain lion for you!

[RaVeN]

Wow cool, I like how you guys are really getting into this, esp Darko.

But "attack" would be the next step after the "warning sign". We are looking for the action before that attack moment.

If no one guesses it in the next hour I will go ahead and post what I found out.

[Richard]

Okay put our fists up and wave them in front of us in guarded mode

[RaVeN]

Okay put our fists up and wave them in front of us in guarded mode

Ahh now isnt that interesting? Its wrong but still an interesting step you've made in guessing.


...using your HANDS...hmm interesting...

*cough*hint*cough*

[RaVeN]

Well i'm leaving now so I will post the answer!


To first understand warning signs you would have to see what makes each one unique. For other animals it is doing an action or showing off some sort of aspect of their body that is unique to that species.

Rattlesnakes, for example, uses its rattler to show off as a warning. Porcupine shows off its needle like fur.

So it is only natural that a human warning sign would show off an aspect that is uniquely human.

Our hands.

So then how do we use our hands to show dominance?

We clap.

Now I know this may seem silly but let’s go ahead and break this down.

No other animal has our sense of hand-eye coordination. And yes monkeys and gorillas have hands much like us they lack this very important aspect of hand-eye coordination. They pound their chest to show aggressiveness and that they are “solid” (their bodies can take hits and bites). But they lack the natural concentration to clap both of their hands together and much less in rhythm.

So then why clap, what does it do?
We are showing off our hands (to show we are human) and our physical power. The sound a clap makes can be very threatening. It is quick, loud and represents hitting or fighting. Us clapping is like us saying to the opposition, “If we can produce this sound from just hitting ourselves imagine what we will do to you!”

Now of course clapping, back in caveman times, would have been accompanied with loud voices and puffing up of the chest (for those alpha males out there) but clapping could have also been used to show territory. If another human outside your caveman group walked into your area you could clap (which is louder than yelling) letting them know it’s your area and to get out.

I know I have done this very thing when a neighbor’s cat comes into my yard. I would clap at it and it would scurry away. Same with dogs when they would do something bad I would say “NO!” but I would also clap at them. Sometimes all I would have to do is clap and the animal would run. When playing around with dogs, if the dog goes too far and it starts hurting, a simple serious clap brings them right down to clam again. (Cant be a play clap)

So then how does this basic instinct fit into today’s world?
Well over time our clapping changed. From “Hey this is my territory!” to a more intimidating action. Imaging 10 cavemen clapping in unison (and I don’t mean applause, but rather rhythmically clapping) Intimidating right? Sounds like the breaking of bones.

Does this seem familiar? Well it should…because the next step is war drums on the battle field.
Intimidation.

And if this is so, then it gets really interesting.

If clapping taught humans rhythm then clapping is the sole reason for the existence of music and, if so, possibly even all our artist abilities, math, logic….scary huh?

But overtime, as we become more societal as a species we would put away our instincts and forget about them as they are no longer needed. Clapping (instinct) slowly turned into applause (tradition). But even in applause you can see the animal. Next time you see applause watch closely and take the action out of context. It looks primal and even kinda awkward. Now relate applause to gorillas pounding of the chest…it’s interestingly very similar.

Well now how can one thing that was represented as hatred now represent enjoyment and thankfulness?
Haha this is very simply to explain. We are children, and like children we like they sounds we can make. And remember clapping is louder than hollering. So to show you really like something wouldn’t you naturally do the thing that represents how you feel the most? Over the centuries it was obviously traditionalized with the light clap (the more proper clapping) or the over the head/out stretched arms clap (for sporting events, etc, etc…) and like most things about the human species it boils down to body language.

I also found it interesting that babies learn to clap before they even learn to speak; weeks-months after birth, babies are able to clap their hands together and make a sound. This already shows it is a very basic action that humans naturally know.

Clapping may very well be the reason why humans are humans, and why we sit atop over all of the other species of this planet.

So go out and enjoy a once lost aspect of your primal instinct!

Reclaiming your inner animal is fun isn’t it?!

I’ve been obviously thinking about this a lot. If anyone has anything to add, question, or argue with please feel free. I didn’t touch on everything I came across while thinking about this, but still it is all pretty much there.

(Note: I really don’t want to get into Religion vs. Darwinism though)

[saunby]

Hold your nuts?!?!

Or hold them up in a STOP kinda way or something.... I dunno lol

[Richard]

Very good I like that

Even after all these years we have evolved and society has progressed us to such extremes yet pre historic instincts exist within us and even modern society yet its meaning has somewhere became lost to us and we have associated it with other things.

[saunby]

Sorry you must have posted that just before I posted my last one, but yeah thats actually really nice thinking there, excellent stuff

[Darfin]

Huh?

[RaVeN]

Huh?

Sorry I guess I wasn't clear.

Humans clap their hands as their warning sign. For the reasons why see my post above.

[Chantelle]

Very good

wonder how that method would work in modern society to shake off an assailant! charge screaming claping your hands