What Dogs Can Teach Us About Our Problems

Dogs can teach us a lot and they are without a doubt fantastic creatures. Those of us who love them and share unforgettable moments with them see this and the wisdom they have.

Humans are animals just like dogs. It is true that we can deal with more complex reasoning or use a more precise language, but this does not mean that we do not live on this planet, just like dogs.

The problem is that people, especially in recent times, believe that they are the center of the universe. This is a misconception about how important we are, which has created many problems.

The good news is that no creature, human, dog or cat is really that important. We only live on this planet. We have been given the great privilege of living and we are here to adapt to the situation in the best possible way. An adaptation that takes into account behavioral aspects, but also emotional and physiological aspects.

It would have been good for us to take into account what dogs can teach us. You may think we’ve gone crazy, but we have not. The well-known philosopher Diogenes had already noticed all this. He was nicknamed “The Dog” because he had learned to throw off his ego. He learned to be more spontaneous, shameless and free. Above all, he learned to separate his friends from his enemies.

Diogenes and the dogs

Diogenes admired the dogs and tried to imitate them and behave like them. To really behave in this way, he had to start focusing on his problems as if he were really a dog. This made him better at handling the weight he gave to each event, both externally and internally. He lived in a box and was always surrounded by his family, the dogs. In fact, he even fulfilled his needs in public!

He put several ideas into practice through various anecdotes: a lonely life, naked and with only a barrel as home, and renounced the objects of humanity. By doing this, he understood that we did not really need them to survive.

Diogenes tried to practice the radical idea of ​​freedom. He was shameless just like a dog. He opposed all predetermined social norms, the traditional way of life.

Those who started calling Diogenes the “Dog” actually tried to insult him, but just like a dog, Diogenes did not care. He also became proud of his new name because he thought it suited him well and he believed that dogs can teach us to live better.

Diogenes wanted to avoid material objects that he did not consider necessary. Objects that we have become slaves to. He decided to live just like dogs and he realized that we can all become more humble.

Let’s start behaving more like dogs

The story of Diogenes is, of course, an exaggeration, and we do not try to convince the reader to take this literally. We do not want you to start behaving in this way. But we want to emphasize the message of the story, and that you decide if you want to take a part of it and put it into practice.

If we sit down and reflect on this for a while, we will realize that many of our emotional problems come from egocentrism. For example, a difficulty that this egocentrism creates can be understood by people who have difficulty delegating tasks, as well as people who forget that they are unique but not irreplaceable.

Dogs can teach us to change our mentality

If you think like a dog, your own dog, or the neighbor’s or a dog on the street and observe it, you will see that dogs are only interested in things that are really necessary. Dogs care about protecting themselves from the weather, moving around, finding food and water daily, playing and getting attention. It does not have to be the best dog in town, and it does not have to make everything perfect.

We look at many elective things as if they were necessities. We want a good job, a good salary, a house with a pool, an attractive partner, to be able to travel, succeed well at work and be appreciated. If these needs are not met, our self-esteem will be damaged. We feel that we are worse than others.

It is ok to want this as long as we do not fall for the temptation to see it as absolute necessities.

If we want to live a little more of a “dog life” then the first step is not to feel so important. We should not get depressed if people do not recognize us. Let us not get upset when someone insults us, or compete with others to get applause.

Be free and open like a dog

The second step is to be less modest. Dogs can teach us this. We will not exaggerate this and meet the needs in the middle of the street! However, you can become more open and show who you really are. Maybe your defects will be more visible, but it’s better than having to pay the price not to even reach their full potential.

If I am ashamed to dress a certain way because I consider myself slim, thick, pale, dark or whatever it is, I will start by dressing the way I want, and do this despite the complexities that society has imposed on us. Dogs are not ashamed because they are bigger, smaller or have a different color.

My values ​​should also change. Physical attractiveness, both mine and others, material assets or being superior to others no longer need to be so important.

Can you imagine a dog who cares about what another dog looks like, who cares about his physical appearance, or if he looks “fashion-oriented”? Do you think one dog would be jealous of another because his bed was bigger or more expensive? Of course, they do not care about these things at all.

Also learn not to be so needy. As Diogenes showed, you do not need much to be happy. As you read this, you probably have a cell phone or computer, which means you have already covered your basic needs. But mobile phones and computers are not needed, they are luxury goods. So what are you unhappy about?