Why Ducks are Smarter than Humans

Summary

The web content suggests that ducks are smarter than humans in resolving conflicts due to their ability to quickly move on without dwelling on past disagreements, unlike humans who tend to overthink and perpetuate negative thoughts.

Abstract

The article titled "Why Ducks are Smarter than Humans" presents a parable about two ducks engaging in a brief conflict, which they promptly resolve by separating and releasing their tension through wing flapping, effectively moving on without holding onto the altercation. This behavior is contrasted with that of a hypothetical human-minded duck, which would likely ruminate on the fight, create stories, and harbor resentment, illustrating how humans often perpetuate conflicts in their minds. The text argues that this human tendency to overthink and dwell on negative experiences is detrimental to our well-being, as the body reacts to thoughts as if they were real events, leading to unnecessary stress and unhappiness. The lesson conveyed is that we should learn from ducks to let go of our battles and focus on more important aspects of life.

Opinions

The author opines that humans tend to keep conflicts alive in their minds, unlike ducks that quickly forget about their disputes.
It is suggested that the human mind enjoys replaying and embellishing stories of conflict, which feeds the ego and creates a cycle of negative thinking.
The article posits that the body cannot distinguish between actual events and thoughts about them, leading to prolonged stress and negative emotions in humans.
The author believes that by overthinking, humans miss out on the simplicity of moving on, as demonstrated by ducks.
The text implies that living in the present and letting go of past conflicts, much like ducks do, can lead to a happier and less stressful life.

Have you ever heard a story about two ducks? 🦆🦆

It’s a simple story that shows how mind-obsessed people really are. Do you have a few minutes? Sit down, I’ll tell you. It won’t take long.

When two ducks get into a fight, they won’t fight for long. Instead, they quickly separate and float in opposite directions. Then each duck angrily flaps its wings a few times to release the negative energy and… totally forgets about the conflict. They float on peacefully as nothing has happened. The fight is done, so why stress about it?

Now, imagine that one of the ducks somehow evolves and gets a human mind. Would it be able to simply leave after the fight and totally forget about it? I doubt it.

Most likely, that duck will keep the flight alive in its head for days. The duck would make up stories that would circulate in its brain. The story would probably go like this:

I can’t believe what just happened. He is such an annoying duck! Does he think that he owns this pond? Ha! I’ll never forget him. I’m pretty sure he will try to do this again soon. But I won’t trust him again. Instead, I’ll teach him a lesson he will never forget!

And that poor self-conscious duck will keep thinking and talking about the same thing for days. Its mind will be glad to repeat and improve that story every time. Its ego (and this duck probably has one) would be satisfied and grow stronger every time the duck thinks that he is right and another duck is wrong. Probably all ducks are wrong in this pod. And our poor, evolved duck is ready to fight with the world.

The body doesn’t know the difference between thoughts and real events. As far as it’s concerned. The fight is still not over so it keeps producing energy to fight. It fuels the negative thoughts and the poor duck just can’t stop. You can already sense how hard it’s going for our evolved duck to survive in that pond. Even if he does, he is destined to an unhappy life full of self-pity and worries.

However, this is how most humans live. They don’t stop their battles; in fact, most events are never finished while the mind obsessively thinks about them. And our ego just loves listening to these stories. It’s painful but it’s also pleasurable at the same time.

If you think about it, everything around can teach us an important lesson, be it a flower, tree, or our pets. A lesson from a duck is this though:

Don’t overthink. Flap your wings and float on peacefully. Let it go and accept that the fight is over. You have a lot of other important things to focus on.

Why Ducks are Smarter than Humans

A story of one self-conscious duck

Have you ever heard a story about two ducks? 🦆🦆