I think therefore I am food

Well I think that Siafu789 and I feel that Felarya opens up "a can of moral and Philosophical worms" that we all address on some level or another. So I want to know what you all think on the subject, What do you feel are the implications of such a world on the philosophical level?

I know some of you may not have, but stop and think, "what does being labeled food," mean to you? what does it mean for humanity in general... do we even have right to ask? Please I am very interested to hear all of your opinions. oh, and writers how are you using this dynamic in your works? I know i have a specific angle in The Jungle bowl, but i am also interested to hear approaches or ideas that have guided or influenced your works.

Personally, I found the answer in two books: Fight Club for an explanation (movie too), The War of the Worlds for a new way of life.

So, what is the answer to the "What does being labeled as food mean?" Here's my take: it means that humans, as individuals and as a species, finally hit rock bottom. Why is it that, whenever man tries to replicate civilization in Felarya, that his dreams are torn asunder, his works ground to dust, and his life ended with a giggle and a smile? The harsh truth is because such a thing is impossible: we don't run things here.

"This is your life, good to the last drop-doesn't get any better than this."

So, here we go. Let's begin.

"This isn't a seminar, this isn't a weekend retreat."

We appeal to their reason-they have already reasoned what we are. We appeal to their ethics, and are laughed at for our "argued morality". We beg for mercy, trying to reach their hearts, and are promptly put out of our misery. In our final, agonizing moments, we realize the truth: we aren't God's Special Creature.

"You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake! You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else!"

So, now what? With no special destiny, no part in a grand plan, what's the use? All the use in the world: there's another side to the coin. It isn't all doom and gloom...it's a brave new world.

"It's only after disaster that we can be resurrected, it's only after we've lost everything that we are free to do anything."

That's when I realized: at rock bottom, there's nowhere to go, but up. It is a fresh start, a chance to begin anew. Sure, we're food for some creatures: so what? That's just the way things are in Felarya. We have nothing, so we're free to do anything. That's when I started thinking about the: "What next?" We are free to do anything: I'm only proposing one.
"We can't just give up!"

"Of course we can't! It's now we've got to start fighting. Not against them, 'cos we can't win. Now we've got to fight for survival!"

But what to do? Consider the ant. When you look at them, do you hold them with equal esteem? No, in fact you may detest them. You squish them, spray them, drown them, fry them, even eat them, if so inclined. Guess what?

You're the ant now. Like the ant, you are in a world made for giants; and all those terrible things you once did? Now they're done to you: well, the last one more than anything. But, why haven't ants been squished or gassed out of existence? Because they found a way to survive in a world of giants.

"I reckon we can make it: I've got a plan! We're gonna build a whole new world for ourselves. Look they clap eyes on us, and we're dead right? So we gotta make a new life, where they'll never find us. You know where? Underground."

The Deluarans, for all their faults, are onto something: they have some safety within their underground base. And undergound, we aren't limited to building outwards or upwards: All directions are open to us. So we could build a entire city in three dimensions: not just two.

"And what's so bad about living undergound, eh? It's not been so great living up here if you want my opinion."

That is the basis of my own story: not just the underground part, but the general concept of losing everything, free to do anything. You can start everything from scratch: morality, society, even yourself. Your only imperative is to survive: nothing is forbidden, everything is permitted.

Just remember that actions have consequences: so, choose and act carefully. It means the difference between life and death.

"...In a brave new world! With just a handful of men...we'll start-we'll start all over again!"


Of course, that's just my two cents.

~Note: I might edit or add on to this later.~

Well here's something I've been wondering... Felarya has a hell as far as Karbo's stories about Menyssan go - but does it have a Heaven? I created something similar with the Legendary Dryads, but they are far more personal than an actual realm.

Well its not so much a question of heaven or hell... or even judgment. it about the ideas and challenges to a persons perceptions that the world of felarya. so its not even a good or evil question... if that makes sense?

I have more sensual reasons, but i also like felaryan physics

a world free of disease and aging is a world worth dangers like this, I would probably go there in a heart beat

In such a world, where humans are disregarded as mere toys or snacks, I find it rather disturbing that humans must undergo such.

Don't get me wrong. I love Felarya. It's a great place filled with diverse creatures. However, humans realize that ants help their world. Felaryan creatures, on the other hand, often laugh about us and eat us by the thousands. To them, we serve little purpose; just as a food source, whereas humans understand how important each creature is and they attempt to leave them be. Although this may not be true for some people, it is true for most.

Eventually, like how people mine for gold, predators will begin mining underground for large caches of humans who have been hiding.

Will that be the end of Felaryan humanity? NO! I say not.

No matter what the world is, no matter what dimension you may find yourself, impossibility is just an illusion, created by laziness. Sure you are labeled as food. So what? You must fight till the end.

Who says you can't win against a predator anyway? Don't forget that, even if humans are not special anymore, they still have the capacity to do great good, or great evil. They are a forgery of the greatest goods and greatest evils naturally found on Earth.

As with all creatures, humans can be a passive source of nourishment, or a plague upon the unsuspecting. It is all how you interpret it.

That's an interesting subject to bring on the table ^_^

Personnaly, I admit I have trouble to project myself in such situation; a world where *we* are not the dominant species and far from it ^^;

We, as humans will always be a technologicaly advanced race. We have weapons and technology that can keep us safe. Unlike nekos, humans will fortify themselves for safty. if that fails we can fight back and win. I dont see humans as ants in Felarya, we are more like wasps. We thrive on numbers to suvive and if you attack one, all will fight to the end.

Actually, on Felarya, fortification is among the worst ideas. Unless you have things like Rail Rifles and such, basic predators seem to feature a skin immune to most 'small-arms' fire on its own.

Either Railguns, super-charged heat weapons (Plasma, very hot Flame Launchers, etc), or magical weapons would be needed just to strike back, let alone keep something out.

Worse, if you factor in magical Felaryan beasties, you'll need Anti-Magic weapons, Magic Shields for the town, etc.

You can fortify effectively, there's proof enough of that. However, they're very few 'exceptions' to the usual things.

As for my point of view? I'm a 40Ker, I'll always think Humans are superior (Except when compared to Orks, though that's an entirely different matter) enough to do SOMETHING with themselves in the end. Then again, I ALSO believe firmly that they'll muck up something good in the long run.

Humanity is food though - think about it. If it weren't for our technology, we'd be eaten by lions and other creatures.

Rythmear wrote:

Humanity is food though - think about it. If it weren't for our technology, we'd be eaten by lions and other creatures.

Nonsense, there'd be humans willing to dogpile a Lion in some scenarios.

Even bare handed or with nothing other than a fist-sized rock, enough humans could drag down a lion and beat it to death eventually. And then, all the more food for the survivors!

Anyways, removing Tech from humans (And the ability to create / use it) is like removing the venom from a Scorpion, or the Stinger from a Bee.

To Mentalguy: Who said that ants are pushovers? You should see the African Driver Ants-blind, but relentless and vicious beasts. They rip off the drone's wings during mating season, for crying out loud! They make the drow look pathetic!

The Masai tribes call them "siafu" (source of my screenname) and afford them great fear and respect-they will eat garden pests...as well as livestock and small children. Only fire will deter them, when worse comes to worse.

So, personally, I think humans are like driver ants-relentless, letting nothing get in their way.

*Note: Credit to GREGOLE, for correcting me on the nature of wasps.

Quote :

So, personally, I think humans are like driver ants-wasps are too suicidal, dying after they sting. The Siafu, however, usually live to fight again.

Ironic. One paragraph about the nature of ants, then a mistake about their close relatives, the wasps.
Weird, huh?

Bees die after they sting. Wasps can sting as many times as they damn well want. Common enough mistake.

GREGOLE wrote:

Quote :

So, personally, I think humans are like driver ants-wasps are too suicidal, dying after they sting. The Siafu, however, usually live to fight again.

Ironic.
One paragraph about the nature of ants, then a mistake about their close relatives, the wasps.
Weird, huh?

Bees die after they sting. Wasps can sting as many times as they damn well want. Common enough mistake.

...Oops. My mistake. I'll go edit that.

Thanks for correcting me.

My opinion on this?

Humans are highly intelligent animals, and are the dominant specie on this planet because of it. However, in Felarya, the preds have equal intelligence. But, they are more solitary. What are we? We are a pack animal.

We help each other. We survive by doing this.

As such, when faced with this kind of adversity, we improvise and build on each others strengths. We are not just food. We are survivors.

Icalasari wrote:

My opinion on this?

Humans are highly intelligent animals, and are the dominant specie on this planet because of it. However, in Felarya, the preds have equal intelligence. But, they are more solitary. What are we? We are a pack animal.

We help each other. We survive by doing this.

As such, when faced with this kind of adversity, we improvise and build on each others strengths. We are not just food. We are survivors.

The truth is when human beings are put into a dangerous situation like survival against impossible odds humanity dissapears. They will do anything to live.Humans by subconscience nature will do anything to survive even if that means letting others die.This has been a proven fact and i am sorry to say it but i do not beleive we could survive in Felarya

bigman27622 wrote:

The truth is when human beings are put into a dangerous situation like survival against impossible odds humanity dissapears. They will do anything to live.Humans by subconscience nature will do anything to survive even if that means letting others die.This has been a proven fact and i am sorry to say it but i do not beleive we could survive in Felarya

You lack faith in fellow man, and you under estimate how tough humans really are.

bigman27622 wrote:

The truth is when human beings are put into a dangerous situation like survival against impossible odds humanity dissapears. They will do anything to live.Humans by subconscience nature will do anything to survive even if that means letting others die.This has been a proven fact and i am sorry to say it but i do not beleive we could survive in Felarya

Humans can survive to Felarya but their way of thinking will be very different than ours

the people who dont help their fellow man often get killed.

lami wrote:

the people who dont help their fellow man often get killed.

I wouldn't necessarily say that's true. Granted, I do not condone actively screwing people over in Felarya-it's an especially bad thing to do here, since the only law is that of the jungle. Not to mention there are more pressing matters at hand.

However, altruism may not be the best path either. I'll be blunt: I'm an egoist. Not an egotist, egoist. And to clarify, I'm not an egoist of the Nietzschean tradition-closer to Aristotelean philosophy. Basically, I rely on my own judgment and focus on my own welfare-but, I don't take advantage of others in the process. In brief, while I wouldn't sacrifice myself in an attempt to satiate a hungry harpy, I'm not to going to offer my companions either. But I digress.

As I was saying, are you sure that altruism is really suited for Felarya? First off, it is often the source of "argued morality"-that, since you are both intelligent species, that you are not food. They obviously don't see it that way. Next, what of your companions? Are you sure they will keep looking out for you?

Personally, I favor a more solitary, nomadic lifestyle. Much akin to the mountainmen of the American frontier age, I would work with others-so long as it is to both our benefit. As well as stopping to trade. I would count on my own judgment, rather than the good faith of a companion.

Humans have every chance of surviving in Felarya. Long ago before firearms, machinery, and advanced technology were even perceivable by humans they were successfully hunting mammoths with nothing but teamwork, wooden spears, and the will to survive. Modern humans, with a higher intellingence and better technology, could use similar tactics against say, a naga that is maybe roaming a little to close for comfort to a settlement. They would just need to know where to hit and because nagas have the upper part of a human it seems that they would have similar weak points, eyes, jugular, back of the neck, etc. It would be a difficlut ordeal but it would be possible.

Magic users would pose a definate threat to humans. But, and correct me if I'm wrong, after living in a world where magic is a reality, after some amount of time wouldn't at least some humans gain some of those magical abilities?

At any rate humans have been through worse, The Ice Age, The Black Plague. If we as a race could make it through unavoidable cold and an (at the time) uncurable disease then I have no doubt in my mind that we could make it in Felarya.

Humans, by definition, are amazing adaptors. Provided there is food and breatheable air, we can survive ANYWHERE. Period.

We assimilate. We make use of the resources, we find proper strategies and we set the standards. We don't simply adapt, we THRIVE.
Humans manipulate their environment. This means that all available magics, herbs and potential weapons will doubtlessly be put in use by natives. Giant-making spells, uber-blasts, weapons platforms capable of blowing a hole in a fullsized naga and just about anything else that can even be concieved will be found among Felaryan humans.

It's often overlooked in fiction, but Felarya can be a comfortable location, provided you have the proper state of mind.
Could I survive in Felarya? Not unless I, with my infinite charm and beauty, could make friends in high places. Could a person who was born and raised in Felarya and was thusly aware of the standards and rules? Let there be no doubt.

We adapt. It's what we do. And frankly, I think we, as writers, all REALLY need to start considering how Felaryan humanoids view death and such. It's a LOT more normal and likely than it is in these parts. Wouldn't the natives be a bit more accepting of it?

Malahite wrote:

Rythmear wrote:

Humanity is food though - think about it. If it weren't for our technology, we'd be eaten by lions and other creatures.

Nonsense, there'd be humans willing to dogpile a Lion in some scenarios.
.

Well of course, but one on one?

Obviously you've never met Steve Irwin. He could tame a bear, stop a lion, trip an elephant, etc. He was the animal version of Superman.

His only weakness was a fluke, if you ask me. Since Felarya is mostly land, he'd have the advantage, if he was still among us. Likewise, so many others are just like him, if not stronger.

Rythmear wrote:

Malahite wrote:

Rythmear wrote:

Humanity is food though - think about it. If it weren't for our technology, we'd be eaten by lions and other creatures.

Nonsense, there'd be humans willing to dogpile a Lion in some scenarios.
.

Well of course, but one on one?

You have to prove you're higher than 'em somehow. In a documentary moving Tigers to Africa, a guy was doing just about this at the start.

And BigMan, that determination to survive is WHY we'd live. I am always fond of using this video when speaking of Humans. Letting others die is a NECCESSARY act of survival in places, unlike it is so often (And unfortunately, true) in most Anime's, novels, etc.

The guy going back for the girl lives, the guy who says "Screw them, move on" somehow gets killed. In real life, it'd likely be the oppossite. 28 Weeks Later, though not the best of movies, showed this. The guy in the beginning who made it to the boat first was only killed by chance. If he had stayed back and tried to save the child and woman, well, guess how much longer he would have lasted?

Again, rabid Pro-Human person, so I may of course be ignoring facts for my benefit.