Okay, in certain cases this has an obvious answer. Former dog lover, one bit me, now I would rather they be happy and healthy far away from me. Direct bad experiences can ruin things for you.

But I’m wondering. I’ve never been hurt by a spider but I’m still scared of them. Meanwhile, other people absolutely love this type of critter. I like !snakes@lemmy.world. Why do I see them as cute; why am I not afraid? Danger does not really explain it, because both animals have species that can hurt people and that are harmless. There are probably folks who love mosquitoes and don’t like cats. Aside from “this animal has personally hurt me or someone I know before,” I wonder what determines what causes some animals to fall in some people’s “good” bucket and others in their “bad.” Why some people like what others do not and vice versa. (Yes, personal preference, but I’m curious as to the reason behind these preferences.)