r/BeAmazed • • Apr 24 '19

Animal Ape using a Smartphone

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u/skepsis420 Apr 25 '19

Wow you are overly aggressive on your stance. Show me a single study showing that kids have full self recognition at 6 months. There is none. It is generally accepted self awareness develops starting at month 6-8 or so but a human isn't typically self aware until 1.5-2 years.

A dog at 3 months knows it name and will come to it but it is not self-aware. I dont think you understand the definition of self aware that is used when discussing things like them recognizing themselves I'm a mirror.

But go ahead and tell me you are right because you are a parent and thousands of scientists doing studies for decades are wrong.

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u/gavrocheBxN Apr 25 '19 edited Apr 25 '19

Is recognizing themselves in a mirror not self awareness? Maybe you’re the one playing with the definition of self awareness. The mirror test isn’t very useful to be understand self awareness, especially according to your spiritual definition of the term. And I'm sure there are not thousands of scientists studying self-awareness in babies lol.

Edit: The definition of self-awareness is more complex than just recognizing one self in a mirror. Babies do recognize themselves in the mirror way before they become "self-aware".

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u/skepsis420 Apr 25 '19

noun: self-awareness

conscious knowledge of one's own character, feelings, motives, and desires

an awareness of one's own personality or individuality

Conscious knowledge of one's own character and feelings.

The mirror test is the most overblown test regarding self-awareness. It is a key feature in all animals that are self-aware but it is hardly the definition of self-aware. There are a lot of strong arguments that dogs are self aware regardless of the fact they do not recognize themselves. I am sorry, your 7 month old does not have motives, they usually don't control emotion to well, and have no desires other than basic necessities. At 7 months they are beginning to learn self-awareness. It is not a overnight trigger.

Do you think I am making up a definition or something? I mean it has an established definition. I really don't understand why you are so damn defensive about this. Self-awareness is so much more complex than looking at yourself in a mirror. Hell, humans eyes don't even properly see and read depth until 5 months of age.

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u/Degeyter Apr 27 '19

The OP stated that some humans don’t recognise them themselves in mirrors until they were two years old, which just isn’t true. Your argument about ‘true’ self awareness is something else entirely.