Dogs are man’s best friend and usually the relationship between man and his four-legged friend is one to be studied and admired. Mostly we often concentrate on what we can teach dogs but no one ever contemplates on what we can learn from dogs. Dogs are some of the happiest animals in the world and there is a secret to their happiness that we can learn from to attain a happier life like dogs. Our four-legged friends are usually unaffected by external events like we humans are.
These animals which live in packs sometimes, highly value all the members of their packs and this is a book we could take a page from. If people highly value other members we could avoid a lot of conflicts today and we would thus be much happier. Dogs have a virtue most humans lack and that’s the virtue of gratitude. They appreciate each other and that’s something we should emulate as humans if we are to truly achieve happier lives.
Dogs are generally patient. They stay in the yards while their owners go to work and come back. They can at times be left in the car while the owners go shopping, work out in the gym, take a meal in a wonderful hotel, and watch a movie and other more activities. Most people, even our closest friends can rarely be this patient with us. If we learned to be as patient with each other as dogs are maybe our relationships would be far much better.
Discipline is one of the greatest virtues we can ever have as human beings. It helps us live with each other as people of integrity and also prevents us from doing things that would harm us or those that we would regret. Many dogs showcase this virtue in their living. They are well-behaved and under control. They go when called, fetch the ball when it is thrown, get the mail; in brief, they do as instructed. If only we could emulate the disciplined dogs then we would enjoy more peaceful co-existence among people. Discipline on our roads would assist in greatly reducing the number of road carnages. In schools, it would improve teacher-student relationships. At work, there would be a better working relationship between employees and employers and among employees. Parents would also have adorable relationships with their children.
Dogs are known as animals who know how to show love. Someone once said that ‘Dogs never lie about love’. They show this by running towards the owner and jumping on him/her, sometimes even licking their faces. Dogs give their owners full attention, unlike most couples does to each other. Dogs may not know how to say ‘I love you’ but they surely do know how to show it in action. If people could show compassion and kindness to those we love, then relationships would work out much better.
Dogs are animals that adapt to change very easily and fast. They are flexible, a virtue humans usually lack. Most wars have been fought because parties find it difficult to adapt to change. If people were as flexible as dogs they would adapt to change much more easily. Parties result to war because none was flexible enough to make changes in their part of a standoff. Our resistance to change, our inflexibility makes compromise difficult and thus life becomes more complicated. Life would not only be easier but also full of happiness if we were as flexible as dogs.
Loyalty this is one of the most notable traits we find in dogs. Man’s best friend has been famous for undying loyalty a virtue that is not easy to find in people. That’s why a lot of betrayal is witnessed, people are not loyal. A dog is the most loyal companion a person would ever have. Feeling betrayed is often accompanied with a lot of anger and this is the beginning of many conflicts. If people could imitate a dog’s loyalty then there would be a lot more harmony in the world. Life would be bliss.
A dog will usually avoid biting when a growl will do. This is the virtue of moderation something that would make people avoid a lot of trouble. People usually go to the extremes both in actions as well as opinions. This has led to conflicts and wars for millennia and much suffering. All this would be avoided if we emulate our four-legged best friends and have in us the virtue of moderation. Human beings are highly inclined in extreme activities and opinions and this needs to change and life would have much more happiness in it.
A dog will take criticism without resentment which is very important in the society today. To err is human and when a person makes a mistake they need to be corrected. People take criticism very negatively. Criticism is very healthy if people are to grow and achieve a life of happiness and thus it should be taken positively in the same way dogs take it. In the world today criticism creates a lot of enemies and the mistakes are more likely to be repeated. For a happiness to be realized, criticism must be welcomed by people.
In the world today people are usually impatient. Patience is one very important virtue that humans lack. Dogs are very patient animals and this has been an important trait that has made the relationship between themselves as well as between dogs and people very strong.
People must endure hardships and pain for peace to exist. Impatience leads to extremism which then leads to conflicts. For good relationships in society to happen and love to flourish patience is paramount because it is known that patience pays.
Acceptance is be satisfied by whatever is available. Dogs are not stuck on what is on the surface but look beneath it. People lack this trait and have a tendency of judging a book by its cover as the saying goes. Dogs assisted by their senses as well as traits usually look beneath the surface and that’s the reason they like to dig so much. This simple activity could bring great meaning to the society if adopted. People tend to be judgmental in nature and a lot of segregation or bias has been exercised due to first and mostly physical appearance. As society would be much more happier if ones character is judged on behavior and not physical appearance.
Works Cited
Adams, J. Elements of moral philosophy. Cambridge: Folsom, Wells, and Thurston, 1837.
Rachels, Stuart and James Rachels. The elements of moral philosophy. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012.
Weinstein, Matt and Luke Barber. Dogs don't bite when a growl will do : what your dog can teach you about living a happy life. New York: Berkley Pub. Group, 2004.
