this post was submitted on 15 Feb 2026
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[–] bleistift2@sopuli.xyz 300 points 1 month ago (4 children)

What distinguishes zebras from horses is that zebras live in anonymous herds. That is, they like to clump together to ward off predators, but they don’t know or like each other. They are not a uniform group with a leader. Horses on the other hand do have authorities and followers among them. And humans can hijack the role of the leader.

CGPGrey: The Real Reason We Don’t Ride Zebras (6:23)

[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 150 points 1 month ago (1 children)

zebras live in anonymous herds. That is, they like to clump together to ward off predators, but they don’t know or like each other.

Zebra's don't like anyone, and they're not afraid to show it. Repeatedly.

[–] M137@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

And donkeys like only one person and will absolutely fuck up anyone or anything that tries to hurt that person or the donkey itself.

[–] Skullgrid@lemmy.world 44 points 1 month ago (2 children)

What distinguishes zebras from horses is that zebras live in anonymous herds.

says a lot about 4chan, the penny arcade GIFT theory, etc

[–] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 59 points 1 month ago (2 children)

With how Facebook forces real names, the idea that being anonymous has any influence where or not someone is a fuckwad had been debunked.

[–] AbsolutelyNotAVelociraptor@piefed.social 54 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It's not the anonimity that makes people fuckwads. It's the lack of immediate consequences. A fuckwad won't get a punch in the face for what they say on facebook, hence they feel they can say anything and be a fuckwad.

[–] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 47 points 1 month ago

"Social media made y'all way too comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it", Mike Tyson

Regardless of how you feel about Tyson, Truth is Truth.

[–] tempest@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago

In a large enough group there is still anonymity even if your face and name are on there.

[–] Sundiata@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

4chan blocks commenting with vpn, and /pol/ is a federal honeypot waiting for the next entraptment.

not so anonymous

[–] Skullgrid@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

yes, but that's not shown to other users.

[–] stenAanden@feddit.dk 25 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

This makes me wonder... How much of what he says is just conjecture? Do we ACTUALLY know with good certainty that zebras can't be domesticated due to their nature? Or is it just a hypothesis/theory that has reached widespread popularity?

I have heard that zebras (along with other African animals) can't be domesticated because they have evolved to live among humans, when we were still man-apes. But that maybe that's just conjecture too.

Note how he have no sources in his video or description. And his comparison to chickens, cows, sheep and cats don't seem to make much sense. The relation between humans and chickens/cows/sheep is markedly different from that of horses. Do wild fowl really have family structures? Cats don't yet they are still docile among humans.

Edit: even if we really can't do we know the reason why?

[–] cattywampas@lemmy.world 21 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yes, people have tried to domesticate zebras before and they're just too ornery.

[–] stenAanden@feddit.dk 9 points 1 month ago (3 children)

But what if we spent longer time doing it? Like centuries, like with most other domesticated animals.

[–] stray@pawb.social 38 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I'm not sure why you've been downvoted because you absolutely could domesticate them given sufficient time and consistent selective breeding. You could turn them into crabs if you wanted to. The trouble is that they don't have a very social disposition, so no one is motivated to dedicating their entire bloodline to the project. Most domestication happened kind of on accident as we developed symbiotic or exploitative relationships with various species.

[–] some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago

+1 for carcinization reference

[–] HertzDentalBar@lemmy.blahaj.zone 23 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Domesticated animals generally start out already being somewhat agreeable. Like dogs hung around us, and work in a pack mentality, horses same thing, cats same thing. That's why we could domesticate racoons or some rodents if we wanted to.

Zebras are assholes and hate everyone

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

cats same thing

I think cats are unique in that they domesticated themselves

Basically yea, but it still has a bit of the same where we had what they wanted and they were agreeable enough we worked with them. If anything they domesticated us πŸ˜‚

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Foxes didn't have many domesticatable features, but it just took the Soviets 40 years or so to domesticate them. It really might just be nobody spent 100 years trying.

Foxes can be agreeable creatures to begin with. Look at the amount of videos of people who have adopted foxes.

[–] stenAanden@feddit.dk 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Ehhh... Can you really call wolves friendly?

Depends on the wolf. I know people who have both owned and rehabilitated wolves, some are just big babies.... Babies that will absolutely ruin you if you piss it off πŸ˜‚

[–] psud@aussie.zone 1 points 1 month ago

They were friendly to the other wolves in their pack. Now we've turned that so dogs see us as their pack

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 17 points 1 month ago

Might take more than centuries, but yes.

We have a rescue dog from Korea as well as some neighbours ( not a standard breed, but a Korean Village dog, they basically live alongside humans as a breed but developed their own way). They are much different than "normal" dogs. They are more like cats. Their way on their terms. Like other dogs, don't enjoy humans much. So even though they are domesticated, they still show the old lineage of being independent. My dogs idea of a good time is never chasing a stick or ball, but finding the highest vantage point at a park and watching everyone. A carryover from watching the plains from the hillside, or something.

[–] LH0ezVT@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 month ago

I saw a historic photo in a magazine once, where some European colonial officers tried to tame and ride zebras

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] LH0ezVT@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Just wait until we have overturn the fascist system, then you'll be first against the wall!