[Gh0stRAT]

Not the OP, and I disagree with their assertion that chickens and bugs are of similar intelligence, but there ARE some very intelligent spiders. (which I know aren't technically "bugs")

>Besides having the capacity to make plans, act on the basis of object permanence, represent specific goals and solve novel problems, Portia often has to confront more than one other spider at the same time. [0]

>Our findings suggest that Portia represents 1 and 2 as discrete number categories, but categorizes 3 or more as a single category that we call ‘many’. [1]

We seem to naturally have a strong tendency to disregard the intelligence and emotional lives of animals. (which if you think about it, was probably strongly selected for at some point in the past)

[0] https://royalsociety.org.nz/news/jumping-spiders-can-count-1...

[1] https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsfs.201...

[Ididntdothis]

“We seem to naturally have a strong tendency to disregard the intelligence and emotional lives of animals. “

It makes ethics much simpler if you deny that an animal can suffer.

To a degree this also happens on conflicts between humans. It’s much easier to kill others if you deny that they may have reasons for doing what they are doing but instead just call them mindless fanatics that can’t be helped.

[YeGoblynQueenne]

I think the OP's comment is just right. Some "bugs" (spiders are "bugs" but they are not insects) have surprisingly complex behavior, and chickens can be surprisingly stupid for animals with actual brains. For instance, they will stay in their coop and drown in a flood, even if they can easily jump over its fence to evade you in other times. It's really incomprehensible.