Playing with companion animals or watching a cute animal
video on YouTube can make anyone’s day brighter, but could it also make you
more empathetic?
Nicholas Epley, a professor of behavioral science at the
University of Chicago, thinks so.
He says, “An individual animal story lets us put ourselves
in their ‘shoes.’ … You feel the pain of a mother elephant trying to rescue her
baby from a well, but when you hear that 5,000 elephants are slaughtered you
don’t feel 5,000 pangs of pain.”
In addition to giving us joy, our beloved companion animals help
reduce loneliness, and can even lower our blood pressure. And you don’t
necessarily need to interact with animals yourself to reap the benefits.
According to a new Los
Angeles Times piece, just watching videos of cute animals could help
people experience these positive effects and become more empathetic towards
animals, including those who are abused and neglected on today’s factory farms.
So the next time you see a cute video of a piglet
wrestling with a cat, or a sweet
rescued lamb enjoying some much-needed affection, share away! It could make
the world a better place!
Of course, the best thing compassionate consumers can do to
protect animals is to ditch cruel animal products for good.
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For a healthy dose of adorable animal videos, check out ChooseVeg.com.