this post was submitted on 09 May 2026
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Science Memes

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[–] rants_unnecessarily@piefed.social 27 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

There are a lot of things that we as an animal like or don't like due to evolutionary benefits.

For example we don't like the smell of excrement because those that didn't, stayed further away from it and caught less diseases.
Another good example is snake and spider phobias, those innately scared of venomous creatures survived more often than those that enjoyed their company.

I'm 100% that roaches (and relatives) fall into this category as well. We find them slightly disgusting because those that did, killed them and lived with less diseases than those that thought that they were cute.

Butterflies on the other hand posed no threat to us and remind us of flowers that were evolutionarily important to us (interest in agriculture).

Killing cockroaches is self defence. Killing butterflies is murder.

[–] Artemis_Mystique@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 day ago

Butterflies on the other hand posed no threat to us and remind us of flowers that were evolutionarily important to us (interest in agriculture).

Butterflies are more associated with death, than pretty things in the east.

Source

[–] TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I avoid killing insects and other small bugs but you're right, I only kill the ones that carry diseases like cockroaches and mosquitoes.

[–] InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I only do if they are inside. If they are outside they are just part of the food chain.

house spiders can survive. they can food chain the inside bugs for me.

[–] sik0fewl@lemmy.ca 1 points 20 hours ago

But I don't like being a part of the food chain when I'm outside -- unless I'm on top.