This Is Why We Need to Stop Calling Bad People “Pigs

Consider how many times you’ve heard someone refer to a bad person as a “pig. It’s so common you probably don’t think much about it.

But what do pigs actually have to do with being a horrible person? Why do we demonize them this way?

Pigs are in fact some of the most intelligent, sensitive animals on the planet. They’re not rude or cruel, but loving, affectionate, and sweet.

Consider these facts:

1. Pigs Are Smart

Pigs are actually considered the fifth-most intelligent animal in the world—even more intelligent than dogs. In fact, a five-month-old pig named Amy was dubbed the “top dog in her canine agility class. Pigs are also capable of playing video games with more focus and success than chimps.

They also have excellent object-location memory. If they find grub in one spot, they’ll remember to look there next time. Pigs possess a sophisticated sense of direction too. They can find their way home from huge distances away.

2. Pigs Are Clean

Pigs aren’t “filthy, but actually very clean animals. If given the space, pigs are careful not to soil where they sleep or eat. Yes, they roll around in mud, but it’s only to cool themselves from the hot sun. And honestly, who doesn’t love a good mud mask?

3. Pigs Are Sweethearts

Pigs are social and sensitive beings who experience joy, loneliness, frustration, fear, and pain just like the animals with whom many of us share our lives. If given the opportunity, they enjoy snuggling close to one another and prefer to sleep nose-to-nose. Mother pigs even sing to their young while nursing.

4. Pigs Are Active

As it turns out, pigs aren’t lazy. They like to be active. In fact, an adult can run up to 11 miles per hour—that’s a seven-minute mile. And they’re not only great runners but excellent swimmers!

5. Pigs Aren’t Sweaty

Look, there’s nothing wrong with sweating; it’s natural, detoxifying, and actually good for you. But it’s impossible for humans to “sweat like a pig. Why? Well, because pigs don’t have sweat glands; to keep cool they roll in water and mud.

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So when we call people who behave badly “pigs, we perpetuate a false narrative about these animals. And this in turn gives people an excuse to treat pigs badly.

Don’t think so? Consider the brutality with which pigs are treated as they are raised and ruthlessly slaughtered for meat. At factory farms, pigs are confined in filthy pens and cages, have their tails and genitals mutilated, and are violently killed. In fact, if you treated just one dog or cat the way the meat industry treats millions of pigs, you’d be behind bars for animal cruelty, and rightly so.

See for yourself:


It’s time for us to stop denigrating pigs and start treating them, and all animals, with the respect and compassion they deserve. And that means not eating them. To learn more about leaving animals off your plate for good, click here. And let’s all agree to stop calling people “pigs unless those people are truly awesome.