anthropomorphizing
Giving things faces
Anthropomorphizing is attributing human characteristics, emotions, or intentions to nonhuman things—animals, objects, natural phenomena, or abstract concepts.
People anthropomorphize when they say their dog feels guilty, their car is being stubborn, or the weather is angry: She's anthropomorphizing her houseplants when she says they're happy.
The tendency runs deep in human psychology and storytelling.
Attributing humanity to non-humans
- human-likeResembling a person
- humanoidBeing with body like ours
- sentientAble to perceive, experience
- sapientHaving great discernment
cognitive · emotive · expressive · projection · characterization · relatability · empathy · connection
Worshipped supernatural beings
- godsSupernatural beings worshipped
- goddessesDivine feminine beings
- pantheonAll gods of a religion
- OlympiansGreek gods or top athletes
Asgardians · titans · spirits · folklore · legends · myths · fables · animism
Moral tale with animals
- allegorySymbolic tale with deeper meaning
- parableInstructive allegorical narrative
- storytellingRecounting events aloud
- fictionImagined narrative work
characterization · protagonist · personification · Aesop · Orwell · Narnia · Redwall
Atmospheric state outdoors
- stormsViolent atmospheric disturbances
- sunEarth's primary star
- moonNatural planetary satellite
- treesWoody plants with trunks
flowers · rivers · mountains · seasons · wind · rain · ocean · earth
Motor vehicles for travel
- robotsProgrammable mechanical agents
- computersProgrammable electronic devices
- devicesTools or mechanisms
- SiriDigital voice helper
Alexa · chatbots · AI · vehicles · toys · appliances · furniture · naming
personification
Attributing humanity to non-humans
- human-likeResembling a person
- humanoidBeing with body like ours
- sentientAble to perceive, experience
sapient · cognitive · emotive · expressive · projection · characterization · relatability · empathy · connection · agency
deities
Worshipped supernatural beings
Olympians · Asgardians · titans · spirits · folklore · legends · myths · fables · animism · totems
fable
Moral tale with animals
- allegorySymbolic tale with deeper meaning
- parableInstructive allegorical narrative
- storytellingRecounting events aloud
fiction · characterization · protagonist · personification · Aesop · Orwell · Narnia · Redwall
weather
Atmospheric state outdoors
trees · flowers · rivers · mountains · seasons · wind · rain · ocean · earth · personification
cars
Motor vehicles for travel
- robotsProgrammable mechanical agents
- computersProgrammable electronic devices
- devicesTools or mechanisms
Siri · Alexa · chatbots · AI · vehicles · toys · appliances · furniture · naming · talking
pets
Domesticated companion animals
- dogsDomesticated barking mammals
- catsSmall domesticated felines
- wildlifeUndomesticated natural organisms
companions · emotions · talking · clothing · accessories · behavior · Disney · Pixar · furry · cartoon
AI
Simulated cognitive processing
- robotsProgrammable mechanical agents
- chatbotsSoftware mimicking conversation
- sentienceCapacity for subjective experience
consciousness · HAL · Terminator · C-3PO · R2-D2 · Data · Samantha · Westworld · humanoid · android
anthropomorphizingobjectifying
Treating people as things
dehumanizing · mechanizing · depersonalizing · animalizing · reifying
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