We often say that people who follow their urges and indulge in gratuitous violence are acting like animals.
It occurs to me that this may be unfair to (at least some) animals. And here’s why:
It is certainly true that the natural world is cruel and uncaring. And “Might Makes Right” is the normal code of conduct for the animal kingdom: if they can do it, then they do.
But this is not true in all cases. When two animals fight for dominance, there is a ritual that is followed. When one of the animals decides it has lost the fight, then it submits to the victor. This submission may be as simple as averting its gaze. And it usually also involved striking a submissive and vulnerable pose – baring the neck or belly, for example. The victor, in that moment, is free to strike a killing blow.
But here’s the thing: when animals combat one another to establish dominance, for most species of mammals, the victor stops short of killing. The new hierarchy, being established, stands. The more powerful animal does not take advantage of the loser.
This is not necessarily how people behave! When someone is down, has tapped out, or otherwise indicated that they have lost, the victor very often will not limit their attack. Instead, they will kick the downed opponent. If the violence is promulgated by a group, then the losing group is often simply massacred. Displaying submission in conflicts is often a very good way to die. “Peace through Strength” demonstrably works better.
We see with Hamas and their Islamic Supremacist siblings that massacring enemies, instead of accepting submission, can be culturally “baked in” – October 7 was only the latest illustration of what horrors unfold when the ideology demands blood and opportunity presents itself.
Primitive peoples often engage in a hybrid. Native Americans would typically kill (and sometimes eat) adult male colonialists who surrendered, while they would capture and breed with the women, and adopt young children into the tribe.
The net conclusion: sometimes animals are better behaved than people.
Note: The above generalization about animals accepting submission is true for a wide range – bears, dogs/wolves, many cats, deer, most birds, foxes, and even crayfish. But there are animals that do not show mercy after winning a struggle for dominance, including chimpanzees, lions, and hyenas.