Don't Be Cattle
"You ain't a man till you stop chasing your friends my n*gga. Think for yourself. Make your own plans my n*gga" - J. Cole, Caged Birds
I recently had an encounter with someone who tried to convince me to stop eating meat.
Her argument was that it's wrong to kill animals just to eat them, They have lives and feelings and it's wrong to take that away.
Human's can survive on plant based food alone so the only reason we eat meat is because it tastes good and that's disgusting.
She seemed to believe everything she said.
It made me think about it for longer than I would like to admit.
This letter is the result of all that. Enjoy!
The Meat of the Matter
The debate around eating meat often gets bogged down in ethics and environmentalism.
I think I understand the views of those against eating meat.
All life is precious. We shouldn't raise these animals in bad conditions just to kill them and eat them. It's barbaric!
While those are important considerations, I want to approach this from a different angle: the angle of nature, biology, and ultimately, human potential.
The truth is, humans have evolved as omnivores.
Our bodies are designed to process both plant and animal matter.
And the livestock we consume – cows, chickens, pigs – their evolutionary trajectory is inextricably linked to this reality.
They exist in their current form because we eat them.
This isn't about cruelty; it's about a natural exchange, a cycle of life and energy that has shaped both our species.
Let's face a fundamental truth: all life depends on the consumption of other life.
Whether it's a lion hunting a zebra, a bird eating a worm, or us consuming a steak, energy is transferred, and the cycle continues.
As I said in a previous letter, food quite literally becomes the building blocks of our bodies. We weren't born at our current size; we grew by consuming other living things.
This isn't a comfortable truth, but it's a necessary one.
It's the foundation of the food chain, the reality of our biology.
The Burden of Consciousness
“Without [the mind] we are no different from wild animals, simple creatures of instinct.” - A Quote I Like
Animals operate largely on instinct.
They react to stimuli, driven by survival mechanisms honed over eons.
A deer doesn't choose to flee a predator; it's a hardwired response.
Humans, however, possess a unique gift: consciousness.
The mind, with its capacity for thought, reason, and imagination, sets us apart.
We can override instinct, plan for the future, and create our own reality.
But this gift is also a burden.
We are constantly bombarded with choices, with conflicting desires, with the awareness of our own mortality.
We can choose to rise above our base instincts, or we can succumb to them.
Predator and Prey
“There is a battle of two wolves inside us all. One is evil: it is anger, envy, greed, arrogance, jealousy, resentment, lies. The other is good: it is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, truth. The wolf that wins? The one you feed.” - Old Proverb
As omnivores, we embody a duality.
We have the predatory instincts to hunt, to compete, to conquer.
And we have the prey instincts to seek safety, to avoid danger, to blend in.
Which instinct dominates is a choice.
It's shaped by our mindset, our goals, our vision for the future.
We can choose to be driven by fear and scarcity, or by ambition and abundance.
Predators are characterized by:
Focus: They have a clear target, a defined goal.
Strategy: They plan their moves, they anticipate their prey's behavior.
Self-Reliance: They operate independently or in small, highly coordinated groups.
Adaptability: They adjust their tactics to the situation.
Predators have their eyes at the front of their head. This binocular vision allows them to have better depth perception.
They need depth perception in order to make strategic judgments. How far away am I from my prey? Are there many of them? Are they bundled together or have some strayed from the group?
Predators can differentiate between what's close and what's far and can make calculated moves to hunt their target.
In the human realm, the "predator" is the entrepreneur, the innovator, the leader.
They have a vision, they strategize to achieve it, and they take calculated risks. They don't wait for permission; they create their own opportunities.
They understand that “It's all up to you”
Prey animals on the other hand prioritize safety in numbers.
They move as a herd, blending in, minimizing their individual risk.
Think of zebras and their stripes, a camouflage that makes it difficult for predators to single out an individual.
This "safety," however, comes at a cost:
Loss of individuality: The herd dictates behavior.
Susceptibility to control: A few leaders can direct the entire group.
Ultimate vulnerability: The herd is still hunted, still consumed.
Cattle generally aren't very smart. Their brains are small and they lack depth perception. They can't tell the difference between an object that's near them and an object that's far away.
As long as it's in their field of view. The distance is arbitrary.
This is because their eyes are positioned on the sides of their heads and their pupils are horizontal, allowing for a wide field of vision at the expense of perceiving distance.
They've evolved this panoramic view because it's more beneficial for them than the ability to judge distances precisely.
Because they are livestock. They only need to see grass, predators and other livestock.
Aside from that they can be passive about everything else.
Most people, in their lives, choose the path of the herd.
They follow trends, mimic opinions, and prioritize comfort over autonomy.
Herded to the Slaughterhouse
Livestock are managed, directed, and ultimately, used by the shepherd.
A single individual can control a large number of animals, guiding them to pasture or market.
The cattle have no agency in this process; they are simply a resource to be exploited.
Similarly, those who choose to remain in the herd are often directed by external forces.
They become cogs in a machine, their potential unrealized, their destiny determined by others.
The Main Point: Choose Your Role
Life presents us with a fundamental choice:
Predator: To create, to lead, to shape our own reality.
Prey: To conform, to follow, to be guided by others.
Herder: To organize, to influence, to direct the flow of resources.
Life isn't a spectator sport.
You're not on the sidelines.
You're in the arena, and you have a choice to make and each path has its rewards and consequences.
The predator and herder have power, agency, and the potential for great achievement.
The prey has only the illusion of safety, a fleeting comfort that ultimately leads to exploitation.
Because in the end, the cattle will be eaten.
If not by the predator, then by the herder, for that is their purpose.
Don't Be Cattle
There's no such thing as intelligent cattle.
The very concept is a contradiction.
To be "cattle" is to relinquish your intelligence, to suppress your potential.
To be “cattle” is to be vulnerable
To be “cattle” is to be a statistic. Just another number.
You have to honestly look at yourself. Where do you stand? Predator, livestock, or herder?
Choose wisely.
Don't be cattle.
Love,
Udoka
