[idi banashapan]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

I think you're reading it wrong. My point was animals avoid pain, and don't know anything about death or being killed, that's been my core point all along. Avoiding pain indirectly leads to not being killed because they have evolved to feel fear or pain when encountering dangerous things likely to lead to death. Just like many animals fear heights, even though heights alone will not kill you (well, unless you exit the atmosphere and suffocate), but associating fear with heights has the protective effect of also protecting you from falling dangerous distances which does kill you.

If you somehow told an animal "this will kill you but not hurt" vs. "this will hurt but not kill you" they could well avoid the painful experience and choose death.

Ah, ok. Cool