Why are people who don't like animals treated like freaks?
in Psychology ·
William Collins11 said:Perhaps the title misses the mark—maybe even the subject itself—so please, moderators, feel free to delete or move this if it’s misplaced. (Or if I'm repeating something already posted.)
To be clear, I am one of the people mentioned in the title. The reality is that I simply don't like animals; yet, whenever I admit this in social settings, people look at me as if I were—without any exaggeration—a cold-blooded killer. I truly don't understand why.
Growing up, I never wanted pets, nor did I ever own them... I just never felt that need for that kind of companionship.
Let me clarify one thing immediately—I am strictly against any form of animal cruelty, abuse, or killing. What I see online—people starving animals or beating them to death—it makes me physically ill; it's horrific. I don't hate animals in the sense that I want them all wiped out, but I simply do not love them.
For instance, the other day I was grabbing coffee with a friend and her group of acquaintances—people I barely know. She had this little poodle that wouldn't leave me alone for a single second. It was jumping on everyone, barking, whimpering... and everyone else thought it was "absolutely precious," while I found it so irritating that I could barely stay in my seat. Eventually, I ended up snapping at the dog and pushing it away—mostly because it was trying to lick my face. The reactions from the group were indescribable... they looked at me like I was some sort of monster, or someone mentally unstable. They couldn't fathom how I could yell at a dog or push it away... they pushed me to the point where I went home in tears.
The truth is, I just don't like it when animals jump on me, or lick me, or the smell, or the fur... I can't imagine having a pet in my house—not even a canary, let alone a cat or a dog.
Why does society label those who don't love animals as outcasts, or as cold and terrible people? (Perhaps I am exaggerating slightly, but that encounter truly shook me.)
Has anyone else here dealt with similar experiences?
Unless there’s some sort of past trauma involved, aversion to animals usually comes down to how someone was raised. If you grew up in a household where pets were treated as something dirty, you often end up with a learned dislike for them. For instance, you see that mindset quite a bit in parts of Canada, and then people who move to cities like Washington, D.C. might still steer their kids away from animals, warning them they're filthy or might bite. Kids pick up on that, developing a learned avoidance that actually goes against our natural human instinct toward animals. Think about it—we domesticated dogs long before we ever thought about eating other animals, mostly because of that sense of security. That coexistence actually helped us survive. Instinctively, most kids feel an inherent connection to animals, but then upbringing kicks in. In American culture, that aversion isn't as prevalent, so you find fewer people who can't tolerate them. Maybe that's why, specifically in places like Washington, D.C., people who don't like animals are so often treated like total weirdos.