The wrong thing, seen at the wrong time

[crowdog66]

So there I am, working on the computer and listening to the studio TV. There's a special on National Geographic Channel about emotions in animals called "Why Dogs Smile and Chimpanzees Cry", and I happened to look over just as they're showing footage of Harry Harlow's experiments with infant macaque monkeys. You know, the ones where an infant monkey was given the choice between a cold, hard wire mother that gave milk and a soft, cuddly cloth mother that had no milk to offer.

Seeing a baby monkey clinging to the closest thing it had to a loving mother -- a creation of wood and sponge rubber and terry cloth -- I started to sob, because it reminded me that I'll never, ever see my own mother or get a hug from her again.

That, and what those baby monkeys were put through is just awful. They grew up to be hideously maladjusted adults.

Comments

[eastpath.livejournal.com]

Reminds me yet again why I really don't like that kind of research on animals... Just because they don't speak english, doesn't mean they don't have some kind of soul. :(

*huge hugs*

[lacontessamala.livejournal.com]

You should see what kind of sicko crap the Behaviorist school of psychology thought about childrearing. J.B. Watson, the guy who performed the Little Albert experiment, never hugged his kids and recommended that they be treated with "remote detachment". Needless to say, the kids were seven different kinds of messed up when they became adults.

[lacontessamala.livejournal.com]

P.S. I'm so sorry that you're missing your mother so much. I wish I could give you a big old RL hug. But this internet one will have to do: ***hugs***

[metisbutterfly.livejournal.com]

Awwww...
I can't watch those shows. Anything involving animals I get sick to my stomach or cry. The monkey experiments always make me think of my poor kids in care, many that never had a chance to make an attachment..or made a negative one.
The best thing to remember are memories of your mom, and your relationship together....as painful as it may be.