Shower Thoughts 2 — What Do Dogs Think About When They’re Bored?
Introduction
When you’re busy working on a project, work commitment or just browsing social media, your dog usually just sits idly by awaiting further instruction. For the most part, at least if you’re my dog, you’re chilling in your bed observing the bottom third of furniture, bodies and the world.
What are they thinking about when they’re bored?
Are they imagining better, more exciting times? Running around the park chasing squirrels, fetching balls, sniffing grass and chasing ass?
Or are they simply on standby mode? Just a sort of looking but not really seeing, existing but not really living?
Are they thinking of anything or are they simply processing information through their senses?
Insights
It’s not the sort of thought that’d usually spark a profound insight but it did spark gratitude in myself. I started thinking about our abilities as humans to be self-aware, mindful, introspective and just generally conscious.
It’s a pretty fucking sweet deal that we even get to think, that we live in that gap between input and output.
What i mean by this (And this is pure conjecture, i’ve yet to google dog psychology) is that dogs just process inputs (smells, sights, touch, sound) and immediately provide outputs (move, wag, sniff, bark, listen play). They don’t have any say in what their reaction to a certain stimulus will be. They’re simply a product of their genetics and environment.
We, as humans, can live in that gap between input and output in order to make conscious decisions. For example, if someone insults you, you can choose your reaction:
A — Fight them
B — Ignore the slight
C — Have a civilised conversation
Forget reactions to certain stimuli for a second, our ability to think is incredible. I can organise information, recall vivid experiences and create anything i want in my head.
I can think about how mad it is that i can think about thinking.
It’s pretty amazing that we’ve been given this profound gift of consciousness and self-awareness. I’m extremely grateful.
Closing Thoughts
On another note, perhaps this is where much of human suffering stems from. Tortured souls all too well aware of their own existence can view this as a curse as well as a gift. Maybe some would be happier simply providing outputs from inputs.
For me, the gift of consciousness is worth the price paid. I’m continually amazed by the human experience.
I’m not sure how I got from dog shit to the root of consciousness but here we are, that’s shower thoughts.
Let me know if this was remotely or profound or just a pile of literal dog shit.
As Always,
Yours Honestly,
Liam Lawson.
