The importance of human life and the implications of gore (an essay)

In social situations, human gore is seen as a taboo. Something that's disgusting, sick, twisted, all of the above. That's absolutely understandable but it's debatable whether this argument is true. Some could argue that it's just our natural matter. Not just that but how exactly is it any different from the animals we slaughter and gut to be cooked and eaten?

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But first we must think, what exactly makes us cry, vomit or curl up our bodies in response to human gore? It's life. Every life is precious. Every life has a story. And every life has a basic right to itself. With this life, we have empathy. We see ourselves through the lives of others, our feelings, our morals, our behaviors and everything. It's arguable whether this is caused by our instinct or if it's something to be taught, but one thing is for certain, every life matters. Whether we care or not, whether we like them or not, every life matters to some degree, in some way. Even the purest evil of individuals matter to the victims, in terms of justice. Even the most isolated individuals mean something to themselves. Every story has it's effects and every story has it's meaning.

Gore, human gore specifically, is the aftermath of that life being taken away, either by choice through suicide, by mistake through accidents, or by force through murder. The idea of something that is a basic right being stripped away from us makes us cry. Gore is a representation of that. Which is why for some including me, gore art is fine, while real gore isn't. Because there is no real life being taken in an illustration. However, to others, it's still a representation of said topic which is why it feels wrong. Which is a very true statement as well making both arguments plausible and acceptable. It all depends on which one you choose, neither makes you a bad nor bigoted person.

But why is it different from slaughter of animals for food? It's the situation. There should be no pure or humane situation in which one is to kill another human. There are other options to eat, every life means something to someone, and murder is more of an extreme route to go for a complex species that can undergo reformation and rehabilitation. However, for others, it's self defense, but that still wouldn't make the situation "pure" or light-hearted would it? Animal slaughter however, is not done out of malice for the animal, but it is done for simple consumption. It is just the natural food chain. We eat beef not because we want to see the cow suffer, we just like the taste of beef and health benefits that come with eating it.

But by that argument, how is animals eating humans seen as bad then? Well, remember what I said about self defense? Remember what I said about human empathy? Humans are empathetic creatures. If we do not suffer any psychological complications, we love each other in some capacity. We care when we see another in need. Let alone seeing one in deathly danger. Just as herd animals try their best to protect their own, we want to protect our own. Every species has a right to self defense. It's a basic right that comes with life itself. It's bad to us not because of the predator animal being "evil" but because of the human we care about. Same can be said for a pet, but due to its difference in species, whether or not a human will care enough to help it depends on the human themself. Some are animal lovers and will help every animal they see. Some are just neutral about it and see it as the circle of life. Some are loving pet owners who don't want to see their best friend being eaten. Neither is objectively wrong.

But what about communities who take interest in gore? As I said every human is individual. Some people like gore for it's theming. Some people like it for some sick pleasure. Some interest in it to try and philosophize about it. And others use it as a coping mechanism for trauma. I specifically am part of the third and fourth. Tolerance to gore media varies from person to person. Some can stand gore art but can't stand real gore. Some can stand both. For me specifically, I can stand both but I just can't feel easy looking at real gore knowing a real life who mattered, who had a future, who had dreams and desires, had been taken so cruelly. Or animal gore caused by abuse, knowing an animal didn't suffer a quick and easy death by hunting or nature but instead slowly died from the cruelty of it's owner. Those get me really depressed.

In conclusion, we are but flesh and bone. We are but fragile physical matter that will soon become organic waste to this earth. But what makes us important is our soul. Our life. Even the most beautiful of materials mean nothing without it's beholders. Just as even the most beautiful of faces would mean nothing without the societal implications and standards imposed by itself and the souls before it. Our humanity is not built solely on our matter but a combination of it with our souls. Whether you believe souls are a real force that will exist beyond death or just a representation of the identity a human's brain has created, every one is undoubtedly precious. It's what makes us human in the first place.