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Politics and Activism

5 Unexpected Things We Can All Learn From Rats

Who would have thought rats can give the best advice?

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5 Unexpected Things We Can All Learn From Rats
Cassandra K. Caputo

1. Rats are great at communication.

Body language can be hard to determine now-a-days since social norms are more frequently broken now than ever. Rats tell it how it is and are truthful with their actions. When they enjoy something, they boggle their eyes and do a light chatter. When they feel comfort around you, they sleep or relax in your arms. When they love you, they give you kisses. When they do not want their rat pals eating their snacks, they shove them and speak (squeak) to them. When they are being friendly while seeming passive-aggressive, they will play fight lightly. Although rats, like most animals, have easy communication skills, sometimes humans do not. We can be unpredictable, making it hard for us to express how we truly feel towards others. Sometimes, we should stand up for ourselves and say no to someone. We do not have to always be friendly (to the point where you become a pushover). We need to express how we really feel, and we should do what is best for ourselves and do what we can to stay comfortable.

2. Rats take risks.


Although remaining in your comfort zone is a positive thing, we should take risks in life. Sometimes rats do something because they feel like they have to, even if they do not want to. They are curious, just like us. We strive for information in order to help ourselves out for survival. This does not mean jump off a cliff because you want to see what it feels like (as some rats will jump from high areas or even far distances which risks them missing or slipping). It is more like telling someone you have romantic feelings towards about them, even if you do not really want to. Sometimes it is better to try something in order to get it out of the way rather than waiting on something that you can achieve the same way if you do it yourself. We need to believe in ourselves more and understand that we can do things that we set our minds to and do what can logically create a positive outcome.

3. Rats do not hold grudges.

When it comes to someone trying to take some of your food or trying to take your spot, rats tend to bicker over it. They go back and forth in their language and even do a little bit of hand swatting. Once it is all said and done, the two rats can be seen cuddling with each other five minutes later as if nothing ever happened. We tend to react differently by avoiding the person and remaining mildly aggressive towards whom they had a confrontation with. Positive reactions are highly suggested when getting advice from one another when in need of it, yet we never seem to take it. Rats are smart enough to know holding a grudge is never healthy, so why can’t we? Breaking that habit feels a lot better than being stuck in it. Just because you may disagree with someone, accepting the difference and letting go of the negative vibes are the best habits to develop.

4. Rats do not look at body image.

Just like us, a rat’s physical being can be from small, large, thin, or thick. The only difference is, they do not judge one another on that aspect. Size does not even occur to rats, and they love and stick with each other for who they are. Get nasty and offensive if a rat is bigger or smaller than they are is nonexistent in their word. Some of us judge and base others off of their bodies, even though that is not who they truly are. We do get offensive and bring others down because of it, and we even judge them on what they wear due to their body type. Some of us even judge and think poorly of ourselves due to this behavior. We need to accept one another and ourselves just like rats do.

5. Rats take care of each other.

Not feeling well physically and mentally is something that is common for rats and humans. When rats are sick, they most likely have their pal by their side. The healthy one will take care of them, from cleaning to cuddling them. Rats who are in packs stick together through thick or thin. They do not mind spending their own time in order to care for one another. We, as humans, can be more curious than actually caring when it comes to someone else. Hoping they feel better is our hope for them, but we do not usually want to spend the entire day taking care of them ourselves. Empathy is normally something we have, but reacting to it can be different. We should try to learn from a rat’s example and take action to help someone we say we care about even if it means sacrificing some of our time.
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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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