025.5 Does a beautiful creature merit more compassion than an ugly one? If so, why? Do you injure yourself psychologically by destroying something you find beautiful? Is there a meaningful difference between pulling the wings off an insect and stepping on it? How much would it take to induce you to rip the wings off a hummingbird or dove?

Dear Nargles,

First off, CAVELADIES, YESSSSS!!!!!!!

Second, doesn't the anglerfish (hanklerfish?) remind you of this guy?

I MEAN LOOK AT THE UNDERBITE!!!!


Anyways, Augustus liked beautiful things. I like beautiful things. I think it's kind of part of human nature to be happier around beautiful things than not-beautiful things. We sort of have this desire or even obsession to have the prettiest things because they're visually pleasing and make you feel good when you realize they're yours. Antique vases, beautiful houses, trophy wives... they all have the same theory. I like looking at beautiful paintings, smelling nice-colored flowers, and reading stylishly designed books. Even though this generation is all about the "be yourself" and "inner not outer beauty", it's still instinctual to look at something and immediately decide "I like it" or "I don't like it". So in that way, I agree with you, Nargles. I don't think we can help judging a book by its cover much.

Also, when you pull the wings off an insect, the most you can see is a detached wing, some ragged edges, and an incomplete body. But when you pull of the wings of a dove, first of all, you need to use a knife. Second, there is a mass of blood that will gush out at you, and third, the bird will make terrible noises as you do it, as well as probably struggle. All of these factors combined makes chopping the wings off a dove so much less appealing than pulling off the wings of an insect.

If I gave you a piece of paper with a realistic dove on it, and a piece of paper with a realistic insect on it, you probably wouldn't care much which wing you tore off, because there is no guilt involved. Birds are also much more complex and much more "human" than bugs, just like you said, Nargles. Because of that, there is so much more guilt when you destroy a dove than when you destroy an insect.

I wouldn't rip off the wings of a hummingbird or dove, either. I couldn't, even if I wanted to. Except, if I was presented with a decision to save the bird or kill my family, I would probably tear the wings off the bird. I don't think I would bear doing it myself, though. Stepping on a bug? Definitely, just like you said.

I don't think it's the beauty of something that makes us unwilling to destroy it, although that is a factor. I think it's how similar it is to you. We relate with people/animals/objects similar to ourselves, and destroying them is like destroying ourselves.

And finally, do I injure myself psychologically by destroying something I find beautiful? I'm not willing to let go of things I find beautiful, and it's kind of like the Professor Quirrel unicorn deal. He killed a pure, beautiful object, a unicorn, and he was cursed to live a "half-life" forever.

... It is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn. Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenceless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."

- Firenze explains to Harry Potter why the slaying of a unicorn is a crime.

I guess that's kind of the essense of this question. You do injure yourself psychologically by destroying a beautiful thing because of the guilt involved.

- Quibbles 8/13/14