
Ask HN: Why is nature so brutal - cvaidya1986
A fairly decent team could have designed a more empathetic circle of life. Maybe lack of designers and outsourced&#x2F;finished hurriedly?
======
ultrablue
I would say that the word 'brutal' is heavy with preconceived notions.

The fact of the matter is that all creatures have to kill to eat. That's true
whether what's being eaten is plants or animals.

Having said that, humans are perhaps the only animals on the planet that can
recognize a higher purpose in that fact. Like nurturing and protecting what we
love. Humans can feel and express gratitude for that fact that other entities
sacrificed their lives so that we can live.

Perhaps you could re-frame the question to something like this: Why do people
take it for granted that brutality is inevitable but compassion is optional?

~~~
fiedzia
> The fact of the matter is that all creatures have to kill to eat.

It wasn't always like that - predators appeared at some point of evolution
about 500mln years ago (or at least first evidence of that is that old).
Before that it was all happy coexistence, but ... this system can't last long.

> Like nurturing and protecting what we love. Humans can feel and express
> gratitude for that fact that other entities sacrificed their lives so that
> we can live.

This is not limited to humans (and most of them don't have much of it anyway).
Every animal will protect their offspring and I am pretty sure every lion is
grateful for the meal provided by its prey.

------
4e1a
Being empathetic does not put food in my gut. It might get you a date and a
plate, but does not provide a career.

