When an animal's daily obligation gives nothing but shit to him in return, it loses the will to keep going. It becomes desensitized to its living experience. It refuses to eat. It dies of its own accord. Does the animal bring such misery upon himself? Does it enjoy feeling the self-pity? Does it expect sympathy for its misfortunes from its mates? The animal begins to ponder this and try to counteract it each day. The essence of its ongoing existence is simply its logical understanding that life is practice and practice is life. Hardship is the very point of existence. But why? Why when he gets absolutely nothing in return? He does not know. He does not know if all his problems have been created out of thin air simply for its own sake. He does know one thing though: he is disappointed in himself. He has given what he can and life has had only a steaming bowl of shit to give to him in return. Or maybe it was him serving the feces to himself. Each day he sees his mates grow and learn more, becoming stronger and reaching new heights in their daily operation. "Why them and not me?" he wonders. Perhaps this thinking is precisely the barrier. Perhaps the entire nature of the animal's thinking is overly narcissistic and self-absorbed so as to think every shortcoming served to him is an injustice in spite of his continued efforts.