(Note: I use AI to help me translate my stories from Japanese to English.)
Almost everyone dislikes cockroaches.
When people see a cockroach, they often scream and run away.
When I see one, I feel uncomfortable, upset, and nervous. I try to kill it as soon as possible. If I don’t, I can’t sleep well.
Why do we dislike cockroaches?
I think there are four main reasons:
- They are symbols of dirtiness.
- They represent nature.
- We are influenced by our parents.
- They look grotesque.
First, cockroaches are seen as symbols of filth. Since they live in dirty places, people believe they are unhygienic. If they move around in a room, it feels as if the room itself becomes dirty. People also worry that if cockroaches touch cups or dishes, it will ruin their appetite.
Second, cockroaches represent nature. People who live in cities are not used to insects or wild environments. They prefer clean and controlled spaces. Cockroaches, however, are unpredictable and uncontrollable. This unpredictability makes people feel uneasy.
Third, people learn to dislike cockroaches. When parents see a cockroach, they often scream or panic. Children observe this behavior and copy it. As a result, they also grow up fearing cockroaches.
Finally, cockroaches look grotesque. They are black and shiny, with many legs and long antennae. Their appearance makes people uncomfortable. If they looked cuter, we might feel differently about them.
Cockroaches have lived on Earth for more than 300 million years, while humans have existed for only a few million years. In that sense, they are our seniors.
Although cockroaches are disliked, butterflies are loved. However, cockroaches are not doing anything wrong—they are simply living their lives. It is humans who judge and discriminate.
There is a saying: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
We might also say, “Dislike is in the eye of the beholder.”
Perhaps we should be kinder to cockroaches.