Man’s Best Friend: Why Humans Adore Their Pets
The following chapter is from EPIC: 101 Short Stories, Essays, and Insights to Improve Communication Skills
A couple of years ago, I went to Las Vegas for a marketing conference.
I was broke, so I barely had money for the plane ride.
Luckily, I knew someone else who was going to the same event.
His name was Jake.
Jake and I met in a forum for affiliate marketing.
We eventually decided to create a little mastermind group to hold each other accountable.
5 total members in that group.
When Jake said he was going to the same conference, we decided to split an Airbnb.
He said he’d book it.
Once he booked it, he gave me the amount that I owed him.
‘Yo dude, just pay over 17.50$ for your half when you get the chance.’
17.50$??
We are staying in Vegas for 4 nights.
How the heck did it come out so cheap?
When I asked him if he sent me the full amount, he said:
‘Yea man, I’m just as surprised.’
I was a little suspicious.
Did Jake book us in some bad neighborhood?
No way can an Airbnb be that cheap.
We land in Vegas at night.
By the time we get to the location, it’s 3 am.
The place we are staying at is huge!
Hm…guess Jake just ended up finding an amazing deal.
As we put in the code to get into the door, I notice the lights in the living room are on.
Once we enter, I see this elderly woman reading a newspaper.
She looks up at us and says:
‘Oh my! Such handsome men! I have been waiting for you. What took you guys so long?’
Jake and I were surprised that she was up.
Heck, we were surprised that she was there in the first place!
I guess he booked one of those spots where the owner stays with you.
She proceeded to give us a tour.
Then she gave us a heavy meal which included turkey, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese.
Felt like this was Thanksgiving or something.
As I was eating, I noticed this big black dog licking my feet.
He startled me at first because I didn’t see the dog when coming in.
The more he licked on my feet, the more I snuck some food to him.
We eventually asked the woman what she did to have such a big mansion.
She let us know that her husband was a wealthy entrepreneur.
He had just passed away.
Then she said:
‘The Airbnb guests and the dog are the only things keeping me sane. My husband and I never had kids, so the last bit of my family is gone. My husband loved the dog. Would only cry when the dog was not feeling well. The dog cried when my husband died. I never got why my husband loved the dog so much. He was a brutish man. Now with my husband gone, I understand why…’
It’s like this lady has been waiting to speak to someone for the longest time.
Jake and I listened without interrupting.
Nowadays, when I think about it, I wonder why that brutish man cried only around his dog?
It’s a pattern I’ve noticed for some time.
This is when strong people break down when their pet dies.
A few years back, my brother had a friend named Emily.
One day, her dog was extremely sick.
Since I was the only one with a car, I took my bro, Emily, and the sick dog to the vet.
As I was in the vet, I observed the different people’s body language.
It looked somber and depressing.
Eventually, a vet took Emily and her dog to the back.
I was told to stay in the waiting room.
While I was waiting, I recall seeing this big grizzly man coming out of the back area with his teenage daughter.
The girl looked rather stoic.
But this large man was crying uncontrollably.
It got to a point where he slugged his way to the payment area and had his elbows on the desk with his head down.
The daughter rubbed her dad’s back to imply, ‘it’ll all be okay.’
Not to sound sexist…
But I thought it would be the other way around.
I thought the daughter would be crying and the dad would be consoling her.
I have no clue who this man was.
However, to me, he looked strong.
Yet, due to his dog passing, he was momentarily weak.
He was gripping his former dog’s leash….
Why do strong people break apart when their pet dies?
This is an interesting time to learn about psychology.
I have no facts, but here is my theory.
It’s because a pet never judges.
Whether someone wants to hear this or not, people judge all the time.
In an ideal world, we never judge a book by its cover.
However, the subconscious mind does not care.
Judging can happen in a matter of microseconds.
With this judgment taking place, personalities are filtered.
This is why the ‘just be authentic’ phrase is vague.
We act differently with different people.
After a certain period, I think humans accept reality for what it is.
They become cognizant of this ‘judging’ process.
–Some break apart: They can’t believe they are being judged.
–Others try to fit in: In order to try to stop the judging from taking place, they modify their personality.
–A few move forward regardless: They work on a bigger vision which outweighs their tendency to care about the judgment.
With strong people, they look at humans one way and their pets another way.
Their pets see their authentic self.
With the pet, the strong person does not have to deliver any tangibles.
The pet only wants the owner’s attention.
Plus food.
Food is common sense.
But the attention is what’s key.
Just like the adult eventually became aware that humans judge…
The adult also became aware that the pet doesn’t judge.
When the second realization is made, rapport is strengthened.
Few people accept others through the ups and downs.
But the pet is one of those creatures which can look at a human beyond duality.
Anyways, that’s my theory.
Strong people are allowed to be weak around their pet without being judged for it.
Which is why they break apart when man’s best friend dies.
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