40. Work with animals.
This activity offers at least two mind-opening doors:
1) Silklisters are undoubtedly used to using syntax and semantics to
make sound, structured, arguments. Not only do animals not follow
footnotes, they don't pay much attention to logical subtleties,
reserving it instead for body posture, tone of voice, etc.
One might further claim that learning to work effectively with animals
is a commercial skill, as well as a mind-opening skill, because
economic decision-makers may also find it easier to key off of body
posture, tone of voice, etc. than any logical subtleties [0]
2) It is easier to understand reactionary ideals once one considers
that they arose in a nearly entirely agricultural world, where
two-legged creatures differed from the larger four-legged ones mainly
in that, in keeping with their lower power output, they were also
easier to feed. [1]
-Dave
[0] especially when said subtleties are buried in the fine print.
[1] Animal Farm was not written with animal characters just to be cute;
he was making a serious analogy concerning who, when the animals on a
farm are fattened, ultimately benefits.
