| You want dumb as a brick? You want too
| |
| | And if sheep fall into moving water, they
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| dense to get out of their own way? Get
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| | drown. Their coats, heavy to begin with,
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| yourself some sheep.
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| | absorb water rapidly, adding poundage by
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| Quarry rocks have higher IQs than sheep.
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| | the second, and sheep can't swim. Here's
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| In any cavalcade of dumb things, sheep
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| | where we have to give sheep a little
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| always lead the parade.
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| | credit. Sheep fear moving water and won't
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| Animal lovers argue about animal
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| | drink from a lake or stream unless the
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| intelligence. Pigs, they say, are really
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| | water is still. That's probably more
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| intelligent. Horses, too. Dog lovers
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| | instinct than common sense, but it's
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| discuss the intelligence of various
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| | something.
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| breeds-with their dog in the top group,
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| | All in all, sheep are pretty pitiful.
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| of course.
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| | So why do we insist on imitating them?
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| But nobody argues about the intelligence
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| | Follow the crowd, even into disaster?
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| of sheep. Let's face it. There's dumb.
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| | Have to be told to do what's good for us?
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| There's dumber. Then there are sheep.
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| | Allow predators to eat us for lunch
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| Sheep spend their days munching grass.
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| | because we won't fight back? Even sheep
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| Hour after hour, munching grass. It
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| | have sense enough not to barge into
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| sounds pleasantly pastoral, but this
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| | situations that will overwhelm them.
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| constant munching creates problems.
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| | We imitate sheep because sheepness is a
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| Wandering from grass clump to grass
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| | part of what we are, a part we have to
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| clump, sheep chew away without looking
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| | overcome.
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| up. Focused only on the next green
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| | Let me drop a big name here: In the
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| clump-and with severely limited vision to
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| | Bible, Jesus says we're all like sheep
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| start with-they may not notice the rest
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| | and gives a rundown of what that means.
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| of the herd hanging a left just when
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| | It's not a pretty picture. We might want
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| they've spotted a juicy morsel to the
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| | to jump to our defense, except he isn't
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| right-and another, and another, and so
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| | insulting us, just pointing out a
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| on. Then they're lost, wandering around
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| | universal, life-limiting propensity we
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| in a daze, bleating. But still grazing.
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| | all need to overcome.
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| Prompt rescue is necessary. Sheep can't
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| | We overcome our sheeply tendencies by
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| digest all their grazing until they lie
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| | discovering the gifts and talents that
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| down. But sheep don't have sense enough
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| | make us unique, then stretching to
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| to lie down, even when their aching,
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| | maximize all that potential. We think
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| expanding girth signals impending doom.
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| | rather than feel our way through
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| You have to make them lie down for their
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| | life-something sheep could never do. We
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| own good.
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| | take responsibility for ourselves-another
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| Then we have their inherent "follower"
| |
| | sheep impossibility. And we don't bleat
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| nature. Sheep life is one long game of
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| | all the time.
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| follow-the-leader. The lead sheep heads
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| | Recognizing our sheepness problem can
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| over a cliff? No problem. The whole herd
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| | show us the way to solve it. If we choose
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| follows without a bleat-if, that is, it
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| | to. Do we want to drift from one
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| happens during a moment when they're
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| | unnecessary difficulty to another, hoping
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| paying attention instead of getting lost
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| | somebody will rescue us from ourselves,
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| following a grass-clump trail.
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| | or are we willing to do the heavy lifting
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| Also, sheep are helpless against
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| | required to live a life of purpose and
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| predators. If a wolf gets in the sheep
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| | meaning? One advantage we have over sheep
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| pen, sheep don't fight back. They don't
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| | is we get to choose.
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| try to get away. They don't spread out.
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| | © Copyright 2007 by Bette Dowdell.
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| They huddle together, as if to give the
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| | All rights reserved.
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| wolf an easier, more cohesive target.
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|
