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Do insects feel emotion?

PostPosted: September 10th, 2011, 1:12 am
by Misiziri
Opinions on this?

Personally, I think they don't really feel emotions, but simply reactions in the brain that tell them do something. Hard to explain, I know that's pretty similar to feeling emotions, but... oh, jeez, it's so hard to explain :? I think they feel pain, though.

Re: Do insects feel emotion?

PostPosted: September 10th, 2011, 1:17 am
by Baya
They don't feel emotion. Their brains are programmed solely on binary instinct. However, larger animals like hamsters and even birds have been known to be sad, or happy or depressed. Dogs definitely have emotion and so do cats.

Re: Do insects feel emotion?

PostPosted: September 10th, 2011, 1:19 am
by Misiziri
^ My feelings exactly.

Re: Do insects feel emotion?

PostPosted: September 10th, 2011, 10:14 am
by FlipMode
LoL I always thought they did since they have endorphins (though ants apparently do not)

Re: Do insects feel emotion?

PostPosted: September 10th, 2011, 10:32 am
by Woeler
no, they don't. Only mammals feel/can express emotions. Why? Because the brains of insects are not that complex, the only contain basic instincts like eat, move and sleep. Insects, reptiles and Fish can not remember events that happened in the past. Mammals however do have complex brains, they can remember events in the past, also mammals are the only animals that dream while they are asleep.

it is because we recognize our environment, families and events, we feel emotion because we understand what is going on.

Re: Do insects feel emotion?

PostPosted: September 10th, 2011, 10:54 am
by FlipMode
Oh my bad I got spiders confused as insects, when they are in fact arachnids. Based on that, I withdraw my previous statement, and say insects do not feel emotion.

Re: Do insects feel emotion?

PostPosted: September 10th, 2011, 11:55 am
by AdAstrα
I wouldn't think they can.

Re: Do insects feel emotion?

PostPosted: September 10th, 2011, 2:03 pm
by Annie
I don't think they have happy, sad and scared...but I do think they have self preservation. Other wise they wouldn't run from a fly swatter.

Re: Do insects feel emotion?

PostPosted: September 10th, 2011, 4:39 pm
by Misiziri
[quote="woeler1"]no, they don't. Only mammals feel/can express emotions. Why? Because the brains of insects are not that complex, the only contain basic instincts like eat, move and sleep. Insects, reptiles and Fish can not remember events that happened in the past. Mammals however do have complex brains, they can remember events in the past, also mammals are the only animals that dream while they are asleep.

it is because we recognize our environment, families and events, we feel emotion because we understand what is going on.[/quote]

Reptiles? Wrong. I don't think they can feel anything complex, but I know at least some species can feel emotion. Perhaps not the little tiny ones, but a Komodo dragon can, and reptiles similar to it.