Do Wild Birds Feel Bad About Themselves?
Our house has several bird feeders throughout, which attract various small birds such as goldfinches, titmice, nuthatches and even doves, cardinals and an oriole that regularly visit.
But it was fascinating to watch what unfolded when the Blue Jay arrived!.
The Blue Jay towered far above its goldfinch neighbors. Goldfinches had been enjoying themselves swarming around a feeder until a Blue Jay appeared and flew straight into its middle, seemingly proclaiming its presence by flying directly into it like “I am here!” It caused immediate panic among goldfinches who quickly flew away or watched from nearby railings or trees nearby.
As an empathic and caring individual, I was deeply distressed to see these poor goldfinches suffering in such an intense manner. “Those poor goldfinches aren’t getting enough food; they’re being shoved aside by larger birds! What exactly is going on here?”
Since I specialize in animal communication, I decided to approach the birds directly and ask for answers.
So I carefully connected with this goldfinch that was sitting quietly by the railing and made eye contact.
Do you feel uncomfortable that that blue jay was pushing against you for its share of bird seed?
“It’s just the way it is; that’s all!” replied the goldfinch with an innocent smile, before adding, “If goldfinches could do shoulder shrugs instead, that would have been exactly what they would have done.
I was intrigued to see that neither Goldfinch or Blue Jay felt guilty after their interaction, nor having to leave their feeder. I realized there is some natural hierarchy of energy among them all that’s working fine – no emotional competition between birds – it seems more like, “Hey we’re all goldfinches here; let’s all grab food at once! Oh look there is bigger energy coming, let’s move out of their way!”
Surprisingly, that goldfinch did not seem dissatisfied with itself. He wasn’t questioning his right to food or worried that Blue Jay might take it all away; rather he just seemed content waiting for the energy shift and taking action when he felt right.
Can Pets Feel Low Self-Estem
Our pets work similarly to ourselves in that their feelings can affect them the same way, though the challenge lies in humanizing animals based on human expectations and concepts. Have you ever heard someone comment that after getting their dog groomed “he’s now feeling embarrassed and hiding behind the chair”? These are feelings we, as people, would experience but which our pets don’t share.
When I psychically connected with pets to ask about their new haircuts, their responses typically indicate that it’s just an unexpected change that wasn’t welcome – like “There’s more wind here now!” or “I feel vulnerable because previously I felt more protected but now my old hiding places have all disappeared”. No animal has ever mentioned any discomfort over how their new style affects their looks.
As humans, when we observe an animal acting a certain way, we often assume they’re experiencing emotions similar to our own – only then to reinforce their behavior by showering love and affection upon them. If this happens often enough, your pet could start believing he or she must continue that behavior to receive this type of love and attention – leading them down a cycle where “This is how to get what I need!”
Human Perception Affects Animal Behavior
Before concluding that your animal has a self-esteem issue, take note of your own interactions. Are you accidentally encouraging certain forms of behavior by providing love and attention when perceiving they feel bad about themselves?
There’s another factor at work here – something lesser-known, yet something I discuss in my Animal Lessons book: could your pet be behaving this way to teach you something about themselves?
