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Jeremy Rifkin, the founder and president of the Foundation on Economic Trends wrote the article, “A Change of Heart about Animals”, in which he introduced the common idea that animals share many similar behavioral traits with humans. After reading the article, I found that my viewpoint towards animals’ qualities, emotions, and abilities has been affected. I agree with Rifkin’s argument and found his ideas and views very intriguing and persuasive.

In his article, Rifkin touches on a few specific characteristics and emotions that animals and humans share: intelligence, self-awareness, grief, excitement, pleasure, and pain. These attributes “make our fellow creatures more like us than we have ever imagined (Rifkin).” Rifkin uses a wide range of stories and examples to support his thesis. He tells of elephants standing next to their dead kin for days, of pigs receiving sufficient time to play with their toys, and of an orangutan that uses a mirror to groom himself. All of these examples give evidence to the fact that animals have the capability of feeling certain emotions.

Since these animals can, in fact, experience pain and grief we should bring animal cruelties to an end. Cruelty to animals through testing, war, and factory farming all bring unnecessary suffering and harm to these valuable creatures. Jeremy Rifkin’s idea that animals have many similar characteristics elevates them to the same level as Homo sapiens. Thus, these living things should be treated with equal sympathies and consideration.

Through continued research and studies, we humans will come to a greater understanding of these creatures’ emotions and feelings. Animals should be valued and treated with respect. There are many different approaches and methods that we, as a society, can take to improve our relationships with animals. The first step is to identify the problem, and I believe that Jeremy Rifkin has succeeded in doing just...