If we find animals different from us and historically dangerous animals SCARY (many legs, no legs, insects, venomous species, etc), why do we find FLUFFY and FURRY animals CUTE when WE are practically hairless? Why are bears cute when they have historically posed great threat to us?

Question

Lot of hairy and fluffy looking organisms are also dangerous too… like those worms, bears, some plants, etc

In: 2

Answer 1

It’s important to remember a lot of this comes down to cultural associations as much or more than it does an innate biological response.

Bears and lions are a great example of this. They are extremely dangerous, far more dangerous for humans than sharks or snakes are, but instead of fearing or loathing them we adore them. This is likely due to cultural archetypes surrounding them as symbols of power, nobility, etc.

People who grew up around less conventional animals tend to be less bothered by them. I’ve always had reptiles around so while I understand snakes can be dangerous, the default fear and aggression many people feel towards them isn’t present.