Can we be sure that they are incapable of the feelings or sentiments that are believed to place them on a lower scale than humans? Do we deny sensitivity to all of the so-called lower orders to blunt, protect, and, ultimately, deny our own? We will see that bees can grieve over teh loss of a queen, sound war cries or hum with contentment; they can be angry, docile, ferocious, playful, aggressive, appear happy, or utter pitiful sounds of distress. are these not emotions akin to ours, merely expressed differently?

Summary

This quote questions whether animals, specifically bees, are truly devoid of the emotions and sentiments that are commonly attributed only to humans. It asks whether our denial of sensitivity in "lower orders" is a means to protect ourselves and deny the possibility that animals may possess similar emotions to ours, albeit expressed differently. By highlighting various emotional behaviors exhibited by bees, such as grief, contentment, anger, and distress, the quote suggests that these emotions may indeed be akin to our own, challenging the notion of emotional superiority solely belonging to humans.

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