packbat: A bat wearing a big asexual-flag (black-gray-white-purple) backpack. (Default)
packbat ([personal profile] packbat) wrote2008-05-10 08:25 am

Writer's Block: Scaredy cat

What animal frightens you most, and why?

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Not-quite-copout answer: human beings.
Backup answer: dogs.

Why human beings? In general, most animals which are dangerous to me personally I can avoid simply by (a) living in town and (b) using a bear bag in the woods. (Sure, there's a little complexity in (a) with respect to mice et al., but that's only a little complexity.) However, there are human beings everywhere, and if there aren't, they can get there. Worse, human beings have all sorts of death-machines running all over the place (cf. cars), plus when they decide to hurt you they have tools and can get mad creative.

Why dogs? Because (1) they run up to you, (2) they're usually either large, crazy, or both, and (3) they're "friendly" in this really weird way - it puts pressure on you. A cat can chill out on its own - sure, it might enjoy being petting, it might rub against your legs if you happen to be convenient, but there's a real sense that if you simply left it could do its own thing and be fine. Dogs don't give that impression. Plus, there's the whole thing with the humans, where they will play with the dogs, throw stuff, talk at them, as if normal people would all do the same. Dogs aren't people - how are you supposed to talk to them?

Anyway, wrapup: humans are most dangerous to me personally, dogs are most creepy to me personally, and the other creatures which might qualify are safely far away.

[identity profile] packbat.livejournal.com 2008-05-10 09:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Exposing the neck - got it. I'll try to keep these strategies in mind.

(Hmm ... somehow, the idea of a sociopathic animal doesn't bother me that much. Unless I'm, like, paralyzed and it walks up and eats my face. That's a little scary.)

Be sure that you do!

[identity profile] explodingbat.livejournal.com 2008-05-10 11:33 pm (UTC)(link)
And never trust terriers. Big dogs are usually friendly, but the ratters are psychotic.

Re: Be sure that you do!

[identity profile] packbat.livejournal.com 2008-05-11 02:03 am (UTC)(link)
The rule I heard was: the further it gets from the basic wolf, the greater the likelihood of ... undesirable characteristics. Which pretty well correlates with what you just said. Thanks for the tip!