Talk:Rose Quartz/@comment-26677518-20171109121841/@comment-3225961-20171109171753

What creatures have more "value" than others is culturally relative; there are some populations that eat horse meat. Because of this, you cannot group all beings of an entire species and expect them to all act, think, or feel the same way about morals and values. To add to what was already stated, Rose Quartz had an easier time "connecting" and communicating with humans because we're not just sentient, but also sapient; she viewed them as more gem-like than other organics. This is important because if she identifies with Gems, she would be less likely to kill/shatter one, and if humans have some resemblance to gems, then that empathy could extend, in part, to humans.

There are a lot of things Rose didn't understand about humans, so I imagine she understood even less about other creatures. She seemed to have affinity for lions though, in a way that mirrored a human's affinity for C. familiaris.

As for Steven, the "identity" concept also applies; the less "human-like" or "gem-like" something is, the fewer qualms he would have with harming/killing/eating it. Also, the consumption of a highly processed product is unlikely to produce cognitive dissonance, since it bears little resemblance to both the source [animal] and Steven's identity.