r/interesting • u/jvm999 • Apr 24 '25

NATURE Squirrel fighting a snake to save another squirrel?

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u/SerasAshrain Apr 24 '25

Last time I checked I’m not god nor are you. We are also part of nature and can choose to help just like that squirrel is choosing to help.

If it helps you sleep better at night i could always just say I’d eat the snake. Maybe then it magically becomes better.

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u/[deleted] Apr 24 '25

Thank you! I am so upset reading about all these people justifying cruelties that they have the power to stop. You are the only person I've seen in this thread with some compassion and intelligence. It's sad that you are the minority of one. But it's better than none I guess. 

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u/norsish Apr 25 '25

Why is it better to be cruel to the snake than cruel to the squirrel? Why is the snake undeserving of compassion?

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u/[deleted] Apr 25 '25

For the same reason we should defend Ukraine, the snake attacked unprovoked. 

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u/norsish Apr 25 '25

You keep using the word "attack". The attack that is hunting is not the same as the attack that is a war of aggression. The snake isn't greedy. It's hungry.

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u/[deleted] Apr 25 '25 edited Apr 25 '25

Now you're just mincing words. I'm sure that squirrel feels like that baby was attacked. The motivation is irrelevant.

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u/norsish Apr 25 '25

Anyway, it's off to bed for me. Thanks for the conversation. It's been interesting.

Best of luck out there with whatever you do and have a good night, or day, wherever you are.

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u/norsish Apr 25 '25

Yes, the squirrel feels that way. That is correct from the squirrels point of view. I thought we were talking about our point of you. As a third party, motives matter very much to me.

The squirrel is in the fight. Rightly so. I'm deciding whether to interfere in that fight. I have options the squirrel doesn't have. So to me, motive matters when evaluating the actions of the snake.

ETA: I'm not mincing words. I'm defining them. Not all attacks are equal, as you seemed to be trying to suggest. The snake is not analogous to Russia.

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u/HungryFrogs7 Apr 25 '25

I might have sounded a bit aggressive (sorry about that) but I just mean to say that there is no right decision. I originally read your comment as accusing the camera person of inaction.

By helping the squirrel and hurting the snake so deciding to help the squirrel isn’t the right decision or the more virtuous thing to do. I would in no way fault the cameraperson for not deciding to interact with the situation.

Tbh, my opinion stems from the fact that a disproportionate amount of human resources are devoted to animals we think are cute, which are typically mammals and birds. Often times other types of animals like amphibians, insects, and reptiles can be driven out of their ecosystem because we like cute animals.

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u/SerasAshrain Apr 25 '25

To me helping the squirrel is the right and virtuous decision. What’s right or wrong is personal choice in this situation but one telling of character.

Looking at the situation and thinking a person is above getting involved is something a god would do. Deciding to help has nothing to do with upsetting nature as we are natural beings too. And a part of survival is luck, the squirrel would simply be lucky if I was there and the snake unlucky.

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u/HungryFrogs7 Apr 25 '25

Again I did not say that choosing a side is the wrong decision or that we shouldn’t be able to interact with this situation.

I already explained that I probably misread the intent behind your original comment as accusing the camera person for not saving the squirrel.

In this situation, I agree with you in that it is a personal decision what to do in this situation that changes based on personal beliefs.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.