Obviously this question is only for people who eat beef regularly.
But I just was wondering, what IQ/ability would make you swear off beef? If they could speak like an 8 y.o, would that be enough to cut off beef? If they got an IQ of 80, would that do it?
Intelligence has nothing to do with it. Intelligence isn’t even well defined or measurable. Things like IQ are designed for humans, so they would not be applicable to other beings. They’re barely even useful for human applications.
It’s an interesting question though. First, I’ll ask myself why I eat beef in the first place.
- It’s tasty
- It’s relatively cheap
- Very nutrient dense, so it’s easier to consume
Why do I not eat dogs or cats?
- They are not socially acceptable to consume
- They contribute positively to my life in other ways than being a food source
I’m pretty sure that a dog/cat could be dumb as a rock and I still wouldn’t eat them because I’d still enjoy their company.
Now I do try to reduce the amount of beef I consume, but it’s mainly for environmental reasons.
Cows and pigs are great company and can get really attached to you.
How does that differ - but just social norms?
Nothing. That’s my point. Unless you count the practicality of having a pet cow/pig in a city.
Ah, ok, gotcha. Then we see it the same, I think
When they’re capable of doing a conversation with me.
Cause of death: Social Anxiety
RIP
I think eat human flesh will be common in 100 years.
Smarter than me
Smart enough to feel pain.
Even plants can do that.
how do you know
A pop science article using misleading language to drive traffic. They don’t literally scream.
Anyway, no one is saying that plants can’t react to stimuli. There’s a difference between nociception and experiencing pain, fear, or other emotions. There’s no evidence that plants (or any creature without a CNS) can do that.
They literally do scream. Textbook definition.
“The car’s tires screamed in protest as he drifted around the curve.”
From this we can conclude that tires are sentient.
that doesn’t mean they feel pain
Even plants can do that.
There’s no reason for a rational person to believe this. There’s just no evidence for plants feeling pain. They can react to some stimuli of course, but experiencing things is a different matter.
That is why by law cows are made unconscious before slaughtered.
In which country? I’ve never heard of this, at least in the US.
Thanks for the link. It says nothing about making them unconscious before slaughter. They’re just saying that the slaughter should be quick and not subject the animals to additional suffering beforehand:
No method of slaughtering or handling in connection with slaughtering shall be deemed to comply with the public policy of the United States unless it is humane. Either of the following two methods of slaughtering and handling are hereby found to be humane:
(a) in the case of cattle, calves, horses, mules, sheep, swine, and other livestock, all animals are rendered insensible to pain by a single blow or gunshot or an electrical, chemical or other means that is rapid and effective, before being shackled, hoisted, thrown, cast, or cut; or
(b) by slaughtering in accordance with the ritual requirements of the Jewish faith or any other religious faith that prescribes a method of slaughter whereby the animal suffers loss of consciousness by anemia of the brain caused by the simultaneous and instantaneous severance of the carotid arteries with a sharp instrument and handling in connection with such slaughtering.
The Act requires all meat companies selling to the US government to provide stunning by mechanical, electrical, or chemical means prior to the killing of cattle, calves, horses, mules, sheep, swine, and other livestock, except in the case of slaughter for religious or ritual purposes. Stunning must be accomplished in a manner that is rapid and effective before the animal is shackled, hoisted, thrown, cast, or cut. (While the law refers to “other livestock,” poultry is not specifically included.)
So I went a little further by reading parts of the actual regulations, i.e., the implementation and enforcement of the act, because I’m genuinely curious to learn about this. It seems that they’re defining stunning as basically destroying the brain of the animal before killing the body. For instance: “Unconsciousness is produced immediately by physical brain destruction and a combination of changes in intracranial pressure and acceleration concussion.” It seems like a distinction without a difference, since they’re essentially killing the animal by “stunning” it or making it “unconscious”.
Stunning it doesn’t kill it, it renders it unable to feel pain. They sell the cow brain so no, it doesn’t destroy it. Midwesterners love some cow brain to eat, it’s sold in grocery stores.
Smart enough for them to stop being eaten. But at this point they’d have to have similar intelligence to ours, which means we’d probably be at war with them anyway.
They would have to be able to hold a conversation. Octopi are much, much smarter than cows, I will still happily eat them… though I feel a little guilty about that. Cows, though? No guilt.
That said, there is much tastier red meat to be had, if only we diversified our livestock. Kangaroo and Ostrich, in particular. And both of those animals are cold-blooded killers who deserve to be eaten.
Well, some people believe that pigs are as smart as toddlers. So a cow would, at a minimum, have to be smarter than a pig.
Well, some people believe that pigs are as smart as toddlers. So a cow would, at a minimum, have to be smarter than a pig.
Kind of an interesting thought process. It seems like the assumption is “I’m doing it, so it has to be fine”.
The problem with thinking that way is people have flaws, and if you think like that you’ll just take it as a given whatever you’re doing is already correct and never fix any personal issues.
Have you met a toddler? They’re fucking stupid
Basically, I wouldn’t be able to eat anything that speaks (I haven’t and don’t intend to, but that’s not what would prevent me from eating a “talking” parrot, for instance)
I’ll go with the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy answer and say the cow likely will offer me in person which cuts of meat I prefer. It’s sole purpose in life is to be part of the food cycle. It knows that and it accepts it.
And that’s what i say, it I ever meet something higher on the food chain, I will hand myself over and give it a clap.
How low would my IQ have to be for you to let part of my omnivorous diet be meat ?
Would 80 do it ?
I once stayed off red meat for 1 year and my health improved tremendously, and then returned to it and my health deteriorated in record time. I’m now back off red meat and feeling better than ever. Maybe at one time red meat was good for you, but the way they raise cattle for profits it would not surprise me they are butchering sick animals as well.
Red meat, and processed meat, and processed red meat, etc. certainly aren’t great for you - cancer risk and such. Limiting their consumption makes sense for (long-term) medical reasons, often for economical, ethical and environmental reasons as well. In terms of acute food safety, most “developed” countries will do a good enough job to make sure you don’t catch a pathogen from it. Can’t assume everyone plays fair, but you also can’t really assume they don’t.
If you feel ill or have measurable changes to your health just from eating red meat, though… you might want to see a doctor.
I’ve been off red meat this year; no noticeable changes to health. I’ve gained a few pounds, but there might be confounding.
I don’t know if there’s an IQ amount, but there’s probably a dollar amount. The more expensive it gets, the less I’ll eat, and then eventually I won’t bother.
Basically the same here. Pepsi has basically priced themselves out of the market for me.
If they were smart enough to start protesting, I could see myself eating mor chikin.
Yeah, even if the spelling on their protest signs was atrocious, I’d still appreciate the effort and order some nuggets.
The point at which it could collaborate with others and fight back.
Until then, it looks like meat is back on the menu, Boys!
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