Why is donkey considered stupid in English?

[le24667032]

"Different countries have their own stereotyped emotions to different animals" it is true also in hebrew we use donkey as a curse... even in the bible if you know the story of Bilam and the poor donkey...the donkey doesn't go when it sees the angle of god but Bilam hit him cause he think the donkey is just too stupid or stuborn...
so I believe it is the same poor donkey all around the world...

[SUDHKAMP]

Donkeys are actually highly intelligent (and make good pets for folks who have room for them). I've read stories about people who've adopted donkeys (via a relocation program based at the Grand Canyon) and reported that the creatures actually learned how to open the door to the house and open the refrigerator to help themselves to the food there. And no matter how many times the owner tried to devise a way to keep the donkey outside, the animal would not be deterred and would stubbornly continue his efforts to get inside.

So donkeys are not only stubborn, they are single-minded and will go to extreme lengths to get what they want, especially when someone indicates "No, you can't have this."

Another difference I find with donkeys is that the donkeys are used mostly to carry weight. In India Donkeys are used by Washerman and Earther Pot makers by tradition.
Perhaps as they were doing more labour oriented job, they were looked upon by the society, its stubborn attitude contributing to its reputation.

Though Ouisch, if I remember well, in USA, one of the Political parties uses Donkey as its symbol. And considered intelligent. Is it true?

In my view, Donkeys work very hard, carry big loads, and are sure intelligent by all means, they are very strong weightwise, eat less than Horses and require less attention and caring than Horses and are thus economical and affordable to common man. They are still a means of transport in mountainous region. It is only the social status associated with them that they are made fun of, as they were not owned by the families directly.

I think donkeys need a better treatment.

[Ouisch]

Though Ouisch, if I remember well, in USA, one of the Political parties uses Donkey as its symbol. And considered intelligent. Is it true?

You are correct! The donkey has been the symbol of the Democratic party since 1870, when a famous pundit featured the animal (with DEMOCRAT written on its side) in a series of political cartoons showing the tenacious, methodical and calculating nature of the beast in various difficult situations.

[rmsh16]

Hi

Tale my Grandmother told me!!
The Donkey that fell into a Well

One day a farmer's donkey fell into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally, the farmer decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

The farmer invited all his neighbors to come over and help him cover the well. They all grabbed shovels and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quietened down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off, stamp the new dirt into the ground with his feet (thus increasing the ground level) and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.

Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well (since the ground level had reached the top of the well with all the new dirt) and happily trotted off!

Moral of the story:
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well of our problems is to shake off our troubles and take a step up. Each of our troubles is actually a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest well just by not stopping, never giving up – but learning from our problems to help us take a step up.

Modern times twist to the tale:
After recovering from the injuries he had sustained from falling into the well, the donkey later came back, and bit the farmer who had tried to bury him.

The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.

Moral of the twist in the end:
Coming out victorious from problems is all the more sweeter if you can hit back at those who created the problems in the first place!

I don't agree that donkey is stupid !!

Cheers
Rasna

[Raymott]

You are correct! The donkey has been the symbol of the Democratic party since 1870, when a famous pundit featured the animal (with DEMOCRAT written on its side) in a series of political cartoons showing the tenacious, methodical and calculating nature of the beast in various difficult situations.

Congratulations to Americans for going with the Donkey this time!