# Reincarnation... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 27, 2015, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858 "2015-10-27T09:13:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tafowler87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f07891/32.png) [@tafowler87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tafowler87)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/1 "2015-10-27T09:13:12Z")
Religious doctrine aside. If you could choose any animal to come back as what would it be and why? ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/2 "2015-10-27T10:31:46Z")
I’d come back as another human. This time a female, so I could experience life from both sides. If it had to be an animal… I don’t know, a dolphin or a fox maybe. I know, big surprise. I assume I keep all my previous memories? ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/3 "2015-10-27T11:19:07Z")
Tyrannosaurus. So everyone would be all: “HOLY SHIT, IT’S A TYRANNOSAURUS!!!” ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/4 "2015-10-27T13:36:59Z")
I’d come back as an orca. Smart, social, playful and capable of taking out adult sperm whales and great white sharks—who wouldn’t want to be one of them? Plus, I’m rather fond of sashimi. But, I’d only eat the ugly sea creatures no one cares about, like squid and [toad fish](http://i.livescience.com/images/i/000/003/734/i02/061103_toad_fish_02.jpg?1296081254), not the cute ones. In my spare time, I’d rescue baby seals\*. I’d want to be known as a _Kindly_ Whale, among Killers. 🙂 \*I recall video showing a pair of orcas (obviously not hungry at the time) nuzzle a baby seal back onto an ice sheet to keep it from drowning. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/5 "2015-10-27T15:29:51Z")
My first thought was to say George “the animal” Steele but that would really date me. So I think I’ll go dolphin. Fun, well-loved, and not afraid of much in the water other than man and his implements. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/6 "2015-10-27T15:40:36Z")
Hummingbird. Can’t think of a reason I wouldn’t totally enjoy being a hummingbird. Or maybe an Eagle or other large raptor. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/7 "2015-10-27T18:04:12Z")
A lion…along with the other felines, the most perfect creatures on earth. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/8 "2015-10-27T18:24:49Z")
I would like to come back as the young offspring of some northern wilderness creature, I’d have to think about which one … ---
**Author:** ![Abner\_Ravenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Abner\_Ravenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abner_Ravenwood)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/9 "2015-10-27T18:47:51Z")
I’d come back as a butterfly, because nobody ever suspects the butterfly. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/10 "2015-10-27T18:54:26Z")
Do you get to keep your human memories or personality? I always thought that reincarnation starting with a completely blank slate each time was kind of pointless. Assuming you do, my picks: Arctic Fox, interesting creatures, clever, aesthetically pleasing, and pretty hardcore, they don’t even start to shiver until it gets to -50 celcius. I’d leave gender up to the cosmic lottery, though being the opposite sex would be interesting. But if there isn’t much prey about being an Arctic Fox could be pretty tough, I recall watching a documentary that showed some sort of bird of prey in Africa that lived beside a massive lake and spent a few minutes every day just dropping out of a tree and casually grabbing a fish from the lake, the rest of the day was just leisure time. Or to have a go at something really different from human I think I’d give being a snake a try, but it would have to be a big constrictor like a python or boa. On a sidenote, if a person reincarnated as an animal did retain their human memories and personalities would they be able to communicate with humanity to let them know what happened? I started a thread on this subject a while ago and it had some interesting replies. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/11 "2015-10-27T18:59:19Z")
> [@](#): > > On a sidenote, if a person reincarnated as an animal did retain their human memories and personalities would they be able to communicate with humanity to let them know what happened? I started a thread on this subject a while ago and it had some interesting replies. Sure, just scratch writing into the dirt with your paw. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/12 "2015-10-27T19:07:37Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Sure, just scratch writing into the dirt with your paw. I think the catch in that thread was that while you had your memories you weren’t actually any smarter than the animal you were reincarnated as, so had a basic at best grasp of human language. But I don’t want to derail tafowler87’s thread. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/13 "2015-10-27T19:16:57Z")
I’d definitely be good as hummingbird then. Not one damn difference. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/14 "2015-10-27T20:43:00Z")
Eagle. For the view! ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/15 "2015-10-27T21:24:54Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Sure, just scratch writing into the dirt with your paw. I’d just start hiss-whispering. Then, when someone bent down to hear me better, I’d bite off his nose and scamper off. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/16 "2015-10-27T23:05:51Z")
Eagle, so I could fly. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/17 "2015-10-27T23:18:27Z")
Maybe a hedgehog. Nice life, snerfling around in the garden, eating bugs & such, rolling up in a ball when needed. Very hobbit-ish. Or, failing that, a corbid of some sort. Smart, community-oriented, able to fly, playful, sarcastic as all get-out. What’s not to like? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/18 "2015-10-27T23:22:44Z")
Cheetah - oh, to be able to run so fast! Plus they’re gorgeous cats! ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/19 "2015-10-27T23:40:08Z")
Ebola virus…'cause why not? ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858/20 "2015-10-28T00:10:31Z")
[Honeypot ant](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/HoneyAnt.jpg) would be a pretty sweet gig to hang on to. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation/735858.md?page=2)