please tell me why i should not worry about how smart i am

The question really is, do other species have mental experiences or do they sense things without having any sensation of what they are experiencing? Like a motion sensor senses motion but it probably doesn’t experience that it senses motion.

If you’re having a mental experience, you are conscious. Some people say if you can plan years ahead it shows consciousness, but that just shows planning. We tend to use the word consciousness to mean a variety of different things. The issue over consciousness, like many aspects of animal behavior, is confused by a lack of definitions people agree on. Tell us about this new interpretation and how it relates to our fellow creatures. You state that consciousness is not merely a human experience and cite the Cambridge Declaration of Consciousness drafted in 2012. Animals are no different from us in that regard and I think that their presence here on Earth is tremendously enriching. We both try to stay alive, get food and shelter, and raise some young for the next generation.

Their lives follow the arc of a career, like ours do. They know who their friends are and who their rivals are.

I’ve always been touched by their bonds and been impressed-occasionally frightened-by their emotions. Watching animals my whole life I’ve always been struck by how similar to us they are.

We talk about conservation of animals by numbers, but those are just numbers. It’s important to know who we are here on Earth with. Your book suggests that animals have thought processes, emotions, and social connections that are as important to them as they are to us.

Please tell me why i should not worry about how smart i am