The Mysteries of Chicken Behavior

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The Mysteries of Chicken Behavior

Why did the chicken cross the road? We believe we know the answer, and we try to sound wise when we say: To get to the other side! But the reality is that we don’t know the answer. Can we really know the answer to all the questions of life? Probably, it was something the chicken saw that attracted it to the other side; however, one thing is for sure, the chicken didn’t feel threatened by the other side, otherwise it would have fled immediately. The reason? Simply because the chicken as well as humans have a built in self preservation instinct that will overrun any situation that may endanger her life. By the same token, we don’t read in the words of the riddle if the life of its little chicks were involved. In truth, it might had been the answer to some irrational urge the chicken felt, and as far as I know, all a chicken does is instinctive, and as such they respond to some internal biological instinct, or to some external, environmental urge.

Are we really smarter than a chicken? Some of us aren’t, but most of us are, only in the measure we can exercise self control, and if necessary overrun self interest and self preservation for a greater call. Well, not most of us can do that, I believe, but we can approximate truth as much as possible. Yes, the truth in us, when we:

1) Give the seat to an elderly or a handicapped, or someone with a child in his/her arms, on a crowded bus or train.

2) When we forsake anger as a way to see other than injustice in a situation. There is always a choice when we are not overwhelmed by tension or the past misdeeds of people that have nothing to do with a present situation.

3) When we get home from work, tired or anxious, and decide to release our dissatisfactions by using up the remaining energy playing with our children or grandchildren.

4) When something gets broken or stolen and we are not too prone to judge without inquiring into the matter. And even if we found out who the culprit was, we could remember that we are trying to punish what we ourselves did once upon a time– or still do.

5) When we go out to dine one special evening, and our date or spouse desires to eat something we are not particularly fond of, do we put aside our preferences so that our evening could be as smooth as possible? Or we do make an argument in an exchange of heated differences and opinions.

6) One thing that a chicken –or other member of the animal kingdom for that matter– has an advantage over humans –believing themselves too smart– is that they don’t have a feeling for their past. We humans sometimes overdo a situation, giving it meanings that they have not, just by dwelling mercilessly in the past, or the future.

7) The measure we dive deeper within our-selves is the measure we know each other. And the measure we know each other, is the measure of the clarity of our decisions.

After that is said and done, is there anything else we can do to remedy the situation? Do we really have enough will power, so as to forgo any misdeed or aggravation, and even our past and that of the others? The answer is no. Will power is very useful, but in dealing with instinctual urges, we are powerless if we don’t know how to approach them.

The answer to the human riddle, or the chicken riddle –if the chicken could have a past conditioning– still remains in the saying: Know Thyself. I really don’t know of a better way to do it than meditation –real meditation, not just more reasoning. Meditation, meditation, and Prayer.

Meditation is the Heart of it all.