Ever since Max came into my life I learned from him so much about dogs and life. I have been trying even harder to learn more about dogs from books, online, research and talking to people. I have tried to reflect on them and write here. Most of those things I wrote - Oxytocin, Evolution et al are so beautifully covered in the BBC film, The Secrete Life of Dogs. But they venture into territories I don't write but only ponder and hypothesis about. Having a little understanding of neuroscience and our innate cognitive biases, I know I am biased towards dogs. I try to not have a parochial view but yet there are somethings I just feel and know its right about dogs (those somatic markers). I often see myself in Jodie Foster's character in the movie Contact.
"Michael Kitz: [standing, angrily] Then why don't you simply withdraw your testimony, and concede that this "journey to the center of the galaxy," in fact, never took place!
Ellie Arroway: Because I can't. I... had an experience... I can't prove it, I can't even explain it, but everything that I know as a human being, everything that I am tells me that it was real! I was given something wonderful, something that changed me forever... A vision... of the universe, that tells us, undeniably, how tiny, and insignificant and how... rare, and precious we all are! A vision that tells us that we belong to something that is greater then ourselves, that we are *not*, that none of us are alone! I wish... I... could share that... I wish, that everyone, if only for one... moment, could feel... that awe, and humility, and hope. But... That continues to be my wish"
"Michael Kitz: [standing, angrily] Then why don't you simply withdraw your testimony, and concede that this "journey to the center of the galaxy," in fact, never took place!
Ellie Arroway: Because I can't. I... had an experience... I can't prove it, I can't even explain it, but everything that I know as a human being, everything that I am tells me that it was real! I was given something wonderful, something that changed me forever... A vision... of the universe, that tells us, undeniably, how tiny, and insignificant and how... rare, and precious we all are! A vision that tells us that we belong to something that is greater then ourselves, that we are *not*, that none of us are alone! I wish... I... could share that... I wish, that everyone, if only for one... moment, could feel... that awe, and humility, and hope. But... That continues to be my wish"
Well, this BBC film hypothesizes that human civilization wouldn't have happened without the dogs. I do hypothesize on the same lines with one extra twist, I became more civilized and humane because of Max. That's a fact.
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