Unusual Opinions

[Mojochi]

I don't get "Pets". I'm not intending to offend or slight people who have them (Just to avoid us having to defend opinions) I just don't see the point.

I get the original premise of animal domestication, for work (Guarding, hunting, herding etc...) for cultivation (Eggs, milk, wool, etc...) & even for food, but this idea of keeping animals for fun or companionship? WTF is that exactly? Is that not the most narcissistic thing a human can do? "I OWN SUBCREATURES!"

In the modern world, there is a profoundly decreasing point in having personal animals, & the trend of having them has gotten out of control, & actually kind of sad, if you look into the effects. (Animal shelters, abuse, neglect, feral populations, etc...)

Why contribute to that nonsense imho? If you need companionship, go make a friend. If you need them to hunt or guard your domicile, get a security system or an exterminator. If you need to feel like you care for something, get a plant or a garden

Seriously, is this not just a warm blooded Teddy Bear?

If you're wondering, I almost hit a Tabby on my motorcycle just now. It was just wandering around on a highway off ramp, & intentionally darted right in front of me as I passed. Little jerk

 

[Gary Mitchell]

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Why contribute to that nonsense imho? If you need companionship, go make a friend. If you need them to hunt or guard your domicile, get a security system or an exterminator. If you need to feel like you care for something, get a plant or a garden

Nonsense? Have you ever had a pet?

I adopted my cat from a shelter. She never goes outside, won't increase the population of feral cats and loves me.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

If you need companionship, go make a friend.

Easier said than done.

 

[Finn]

Yeah...nonsense. I wouldn't trade the 14 years I had with my late Beagle There are health benefits having a pet.

 

[Avro Arrow]

@Mojochi , you have put me in a bit of a quandary.

I don't get "Pets". I'm not intending to offend or slight people who have them

Then perhaps it might not have been a good idea to, in the very next paragraph, call all pet owners extreme narcissists? I don't know if you visit the "Feline" or "Doggies" threads, but you are insulting a fairly large swath of this forum's membership... so much so, that is could possibly be considered trolling.

I don't think it's necessarily a bad idea to have a thread about "what opinions do you hold that go against the mainstream", but TBH, this post comes across more like a rant against people with pets. As such, I fear that you may have poisoned the well from the outset.

I will work from the assumption that you were still a bit shaken from your near miss, and perhaps didn't intend to come across as confrontational as you do. So I will leave the thread open (for now, anyway), and ask that people try to stick to the subject as presented in the thread title.

If you need companionship, go make a friend.

I would submit that this is not really that simple for everyone. (I see that MLB basically said the same thing while I was typing.)

If you need to feel like you care for something, get a plant or a garden

Love cats. Hate gardening. Don't get me wrong, I very much appreciate a beautiful garden, I'm just never going to have my own. Actually, if you want to talk unusual opinions... I don't enjoy houseplants. I don't have any plants in my home, although I do appreciate that others might get enjoyment out of them that I do not.

If you're wondering, I almost hit a Tabby on my motorcycle just now.

I'm glad you both came out of the encounter OK.

I know you don't want to defend your opinion, and that's fine, but just as a final point, in addition to the benefits for the human, I think you may be overlooking the benefits that the animal gets out of the relationship, too.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

I guess this is an unpopular opinion: I don't like Game of Thrones or Stranger Things. I see things about them mentioned all over the place. I watched the first 2 episodes of both and didn't see any reason to watch any more.

 

[Butters]

I guess this is an unpopular opinion: I don't like Game of Thrones or Stranger Things. I see things about them mentioned all over the place. I watched the first 2 episodes of both and didn't see any reason to watch any more.

I’ve not seen either of them either, and have no interest either.

Some people don’t like to use the same word twice in a sentence, but I’m good with it.

Pets are part of the family though.

 

[publiusr]

I don't make enough money to really keep a pet. The Pinson Library cat is what I visit. Since I live alone, I don't want to fall over dead and leave the thing to starve and howl by itself.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Provided the animals are well treated, I have absolutely no problems with the existence of pets. I don’t want them myself, but the concept is perfectly valid.

The simple fact is, dogs and cats live best when under a human’s care. They can’t survive in the wild. It’s not exploitation - it’s simply the order of things.

This also applies to certain farm animals as well. Lord knows I wish the butchering process, for example, was more humane, but I doubt cows could survive on their own anywhere near as long as they do on farms.

Again, this is not indicative of exploitation or abuse. Some species just don’t live in the wild - it’s their place to live under humans’ care. Pets are a perfect example of this. It’s win-win - the pet gets a home where it can safely thrive, and the owner gets a friend and companion.

As for other unpopular opinions: I have never seen...

- Titanic

- Avatar

- Any episode of Friends, The Simpsons, or Seinfeld

- Any Kevin Smith movie

Oh, and not only do I prefer the Special Editions of the original SW trilogy, I actually like the prequels - in fact I prefer the PT over the OT. How’s THAT for unpopular?

 

[Avro Arrow]

I guess this is an unpopular opinion: I don't like Game of Thrones or Stranger Things. I see things about them mentioned all over the place. I watched the first 2 episodes of both and didn't see any reason to watch any more.

I love GoT (no season 8 spoilers, please!), but I've never seen Stranger Things... although I would like to.

I believe I have mentioned this elsewhere in the forum, but I am completely and totally uninterested in so-called "reality" TV in all its various forms: survival shows, dating shows, racing shows, random people living in a house together shows, etc. Judging by how popular these still tend to be, this seems to be a minority opinion.

But one type of television that I *do* like that is probably not a popular opinion: I love watching election results coverage. The returns coming in, the commentary and analysis, the fancy graphics and vote breakdowns... it's pretty much event viewing for me. I don't usually watch "real time" TV anymore, but I will make sure that I have time set aside on election night for viewing, and will usually stay with the program until it signs off, whenever that may be. (It probably helps, though, that elections are so infrequent.) Most people I know just wait to hear the final results on the news the next morning; I'm always like, "how can you not want to know as soon as the projection is made?!"

To be fair, the last two (major) results I watched were extremely disappointing to me personally. Hopefully I am not as equally disappointed this October.

 

[Awesome Possum]

Nonsense? Have you ever had a pet?

I adopted my cat from a shelter. She never goes outside, won't increase the population of feral cats and loves me.

I have a shelter cat. She's my little furry baby. She stays inside and has devoted her life to knocking down everything on my desk.

 

[auntiehill]

I believe I have mentioned this elsewhere in the forum, but I am completely and totally uninterested in so-called "reality" TV in all its various forms: survival shows, dating shows, racing shows, random people living in a house together shows, etc. Judging by how popular these still tend to be, this seems to be a minority opinion....

I am also part of that minority. I don't get it. I watched some of it when it first hit the scene but quickly tired of it. VERY quickly. I don't see the appeal of these forced-situations, constantly ratcheting up the drama in obviously orchestrated conflicts. I have never known and have no desire to know, the types of people portrayed on these programs. It feels entirely geared toward promoting all the worst, most disgusting and hateful personality traits one can imagine. I'm not simply disinterested; I actively flee from it.

 

[Mojochi]

Nonsense? Have you ever had a pet?

I grew up around them plenty. I know plenty of people who have them. I like them just fine. I'm actually really good with dogs, better than most dog owners I know, who barely seem to realize those things deserve training. Not so fond of cats, since I'm allergic, but all in all, I wouldn't own any of them

Easier said than done.

There are health benefits having a pet.

The kind of health benefits that come from interaction, that would be even better were it from another human being, which although it may not be easy, is far more beneficial & well worth any efforts to get it or give it, or see that people who need it are getting it. It's just a substitution for what we really need, & in that way enables us more to go without imho

The simple fact is, dogs and cats live best when under a human’s care. They can’t survive in the wild. It’s not exploitation - it’s simply the order of things.

Agreed, but we perpetuate that order, continually. If we stopped encouraging the breeding of household pets, & made a concerted effort to just care for what was left, in a few generations, we could eliminate the whole paradigm. Most of them only live a couple decades

@Mojochi Then perhaps it might not have been a good idea to, in the very next paragraph, call all pet owners extreme narcissists? I don't know if you visit the "Feline" or "Doggies" threads, but you are insulting a fairly large swath of this forum's membership... so much so, that is could possibly be considered trolling.

I apologize. I tried not to come off that way, & to be fair, I didn't actually call anyone a narcissist, I asked if isn't also reasonable to see it that way, (Another perspective on the issue) which is offering people the chance to say no, which I won't further argue

Let it instead be known that I personally would feel like a narcissist owning an animal, & I see just as much ill effects to society & the ecology from the choice to do so, as I do the would-be benefits.

That said, I truly didn't start the thread just to rant on that. It seemed interesting to hear about unusual or unpopular opinions of all kinds

 

[Discofan]

I really don't care what will be done with my possessions or my body after I am dead. I haven't done nor do I plan to do a thing about it.

 

[Mojochi]

I believe I have mentioned this elsewhere in the forum, but I am completely and totally uninterested in so-called "reality" TV in all its various forms: survival shows, dating shows, racing shows, random people living in a house together shows, etc. Judging by how popular these still tend to be, this seems to be a minority opinion.

I'd make only one exception to this, which I almost completely agree with. I do watch some survival shows. However, it's because I like informative viewing, "How things are made" Fix it shows, some car restoration, & some survival shows which have a focus on teaching survival knowledge. Basically, Naked & Afraid is garbage, but Les Stroud's Survivorman? That guy is worth having on tv imho. I'll watch his show sometimes. Bear Grylls? That guy is a sensationalist berk, who would get you killed, if you tried to live in the wild based on his example

Technically, Antiques Roadshow is a reality tv show, but I'll watch that one. You can see & learn some cool stuff

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

As for other unpopular opinions: I have never seen...

- Any episode of Friends, The Simpsons, or Seinfeld
- Any Kevin Smith movie

That's it, I'm unfriending you....weirdo

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I believe I have mentioned this elsewhere in the forum, but I am completely and totally uninterested in so-called "reality" TV in all its various forms: survival shows, dating shows, racing shows, random people living in a house together shows, etc. Judging by how popular these still tend to be, this seems to be a minority opinion.

Not as "minority" as you might think.

Me, not only do I detest so-called "reality TV" as much as you do, I remain firmly convinced that it's all fake. That which is sold to the public as "reality TV" is as pre-planned, pre-arranged, pre-screened, pre-sifted, and scripted as any other show out there.

Oh, and I feel the same way about so-called "celebrity relationships". They are all determined in advance by their handlers. Go ahead, prove me wrong.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

If you need companionship, go make a friend.

But my friends don't let me smush my face into their stomachs and say who's a fatty furry thing.

 

[Mojochi]

But my friends don't let me smush my face into their stomachs and say who's a fatty furry thing.

I bet you could find one that would That's the key though. It only works if you find a consenting individual, which is why having pets always comes across to me as an excuse for a relationship without consent.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Well now it is true that my cats don't always care for my scooping them up and smushing their fluffy tummies. I don't seek consent from them but they do have safe words indicating that I have gone too far in the form of a swat or weak bite. Of course being only concerned with what I can get out of this relationship I ignore them and smush their tummies even harder.

I feel that if I did, as you so persistently suggest, seek out a human to have this relationship with I might be arrested. So it's perhaps good for society that I have these cats.