"Are you a cat person, or a dog person?"
My gut instinct is always to respond that I am a cat person. The rationale I typically give is that they are more similar to humans: self-prioritising and are more likely to express their need for boundaries and personal space. Dogs, on the other hand, seem to obey without unquestionable loyalty, and have an attachment style that is way too anxious for my liking. These, of course, are all massive sweeping generalisations, and I must also caveat that overall I have spent more time living with cats than I have with dogs. Like many generalisations however, it does seem like there is a grain of truth in mine, and one need not get overly technical and flustered with 'not all cats / dogs are like that' rebuttals in informal thought experiments such as these.
As I reflect on my response, I wonder: instead of preferring cats to dogs because of their 'humanity', is it more the case that I prefer cats because they are more similar to myself, or who I aspire to be? It is not untrue that I believe that humans should aspire to embrace and express their individuality, and to the extent where they do not infringe on the freedom of others. I am also suspicious of the principle of being loyal without question, and ipso facto, many religious institutions and nationalist ideals.
Individualism, freedom, and critical thinking: these are indeed my core values. And how efficiently are they laid bare in the seemingly innocuous question on whether I prefer one common house pet species over another! It is remarkable how much you can learn about a person when armed with the right questions.
