History's most brutal killers, the Majingilane Male Lions

[Polar]

Maybe lions don't have the ability to reason in abstract terms such as us, but "abstract" to them might be different from "abstract" to us. There are lions (like bears and primates) who can appreciate nature's beauty and nature as it is, and quite possibly, to think about philosophical thoughts like we do (although probably not in the depth as we do), but they might do it somehow. Lions (and most other wild animals) reason more concretely, or less abstract, then we do simply because of mental patterns (DNA) and the need to survive in their circumstances, with carnivores being the most adaptable animal family along with hominids. Environmental and physical concerns are more reality-based and more practical than philosophical or creative-thought concerns, thus more concrete thinking.

Humans and especially modern humans, on the other hand, are more creative thinkers and are probably number one when it comes to creation. That is what makes us ultimately identifiable from most other species. We seem to be better at abstract thinking than concrete thinking since the creative, linguistic, and socializing portions of our brain are the largest. So it would make sense that lions don't always rely on instincts just as we don't always do so, either. In fact, most of our actions are still based on our natural instincts; relationships (female validation), sizing/eyeing up other men for possible competition, and other few instincts not listed.

DNA does play a very limited part in some of the mental wiring of lions and humans (the rest is from environment and experience), but lions tend to direct most of their intelligence from their concrete environment, while humans (especially modern ones) think more so of philosophical and creative concepts, although early humans thought much more concretely due to the need for survival and adaptation to physical environment. Reply