Anthro-Mo-Pho-Whatta?

Anthropomorphizing:  I can’t spell it without a spellcheck assist, have profound trouble saying it, but surely exemplify it a thousand times daily. 

You know the concept ... attributing human characteristics to things UN-human.

Who can blame me?

My reference IS human - it's all I have, really.  

(paraphrased from the blogger called Doyle)

Even fancy-pants scientists anthropomorphize. 

• The Weatherologists (or what-EVER they call themselves - big weather guesser people) name storm systems with, not some scientific jargon attached to a date, but very human names like Fay & Andrew.  
• Computer geeks talk to their hardware and software as if it had ears and was responding to verbal commands (hmmmm... maybe it does respond, but that doesn't make it human...). 
• At MIT in 1917 they were referring to cars/engines/gadgets/boats as SHE/HER/FEMALES.  Of course that is done by nearly all of us still today.  In fact, referring to a gigantic war ship as a she or her is currently recognized as proper and official Navy-Speak.
• In medicine there are killer t-cells that come out attack foreign bodies.
• Ever looked through a microscope & thought to yourself, "I wonder who those guys are?"  They're probably NOT guys.
• Think back to the early science classes when we were shown the graphic footage of molecules becoming attracted to each other & all the different ways they share & form bonds.  How sweet.

Language leads us to humanize so many things:

-cameras have eyes (so do needles)

-chairs have legs (so does wine)

-pins have heads (& beer, too, of course)

-clocks have faces while rivers have just a mouth.

As children, we are not so subtly led to anthropomorphize.  

• Books show us in still life - that little train that thought he could, thought he could, thought he could, & turns out, (spoiler alert!!) he actually could.
• Cartoons make nonhuman critters have many human characteristics.  You may know the rabbit that stands upright on only two of his legs, holds his carrot like a cigar & asks "Eh, What's up, Doc?"  Who could forget that big-bubble-headed little yellow bird that tawt he taw a feline & he did, he did.
• Fairy tales, like the one with three sizes of bears & the blonde girl talking about the exact perfect temperature for porridge.

Is the opposite of anthropomorphize to dehumanize?

 I hope not.  

I would guess that the majority of us who are enamored with dogs practice anthropomorphism. 

 My dogs each have their own voice with special accents & drawls & my husband & I love to verbalize what they are thinking & trying to say throughout the day.  (Don't be fooled, when my hound Lucas speaks, he sounds dopey as all get out, but he really is smart!!)  My fur kids favorite holiday is every Saturday (they get to spend the entire day with Mommy & Daddy.)  And Eiyso has a watch to let everyone know when it's dinner time.

I know - I am fully aware - that my dogs are not little fuzzy humans. 

However, they make me human.

….they contribute to my humanity & keep me humble

….they make up for all my faults.  

It’s not too much pressure to put on them;  They told me they welcome the challenge & are up to the task.