Understanding Nature
Nature is a complex entity. Humanity has tried to understand the intricate systems, procedures, and mechanisms of nature for millennia. Whole fields of study, thousands of volumes of literature, and countless quests and explorations stand testament to how important nature is. It is one thing that everyone shares in common- living on this Earth. However, some modern cultures have shifted to a new perspective, thinking that mankind has something to teach Earth, rather than Earth having something to teach them. This is a fatal error and betrays the intricate relationship between mankind and nature.
Nature connects people to some of the most intimate and universal truths about the human condition.
Understanding nature reveals humanity’s limitations, legacy, and liberty.
Nature teaches mankind about its limitations. While modern generations may feel as if the world is under humanity’s control, this could not be farther from the truth. Humanity’s very existence relies on a “huge, enormously complex living machine that forms a thin dynamic layer on the earth’s surface” (Commoner 346). This machine reveals the interconnectedness and relationships of all things, creating one dynamic and adaptive organism that allows all beings on Earth to exist.
Every species has a role in the cycles of life, including mankind. What this means is that humans are not the ultimate beings in control of nature, rather being one of many interlinked parts. The societies that survive the longest are those who learn and respond to their environments, understanding their “ancient bondage to air, water, and soil” (Commoner 345).
They understand their role as keepers of nature rather than as gods over it.
A society that truly understands nature will understand their reliance on nature. The community’s well-being and the well-being of the air, water, and soil around them are eternally intertwined and this bond cannot be broken by even the best technologies. No man-made invention can fully push past all of the limits set by nature on the role and power of humanity.
Nature reveals humanity’s legacy. While the average human only lives for about 80 years, humanity’s collective choices can impact the environment for centuries. The Earth, and its multi-billion year history, shows how a society’s choices can alter the environment of future generations. There is an imminent danger when mankind is solely concerned with health and happiness “only in terms of human beings over the next 50 years” (Shiva 378). This mindset produces selfish consumers that deplete everything rather than considerate caretakers who prepare the way for future generations.
Just as one may save heirlooms, maintain the family home, or set aside an inheritance, one must be mindful of the Earth they will pass on to future generations.
Societies marked by over-consumption and greed live at the expense of their descendants, while conscientious societies will know that caring for their environment and “maintaining [their] ability to live on the planet is the only intelligent response” (Shiva 376). The landscapes and resources of various nations illustrate this distinction, as some scrape by in wastelands ruined by greedy farming and others still enjoy many of the same goods as their ancestors. All of modern mankind is deciding the future backdrops and circumstances of their descendants, whether they know it or not.
Nature reminds mankind of its most innate liberties. Amongst the trees, by the ocean, or in the mountains, a human is just a human. When one connects with their surroundings, for even a moment they cease to be a citizen, a coworker, or a caretaker and are free to simply be.
In the wild beauty of nature, one is simply a wanderer, an organism free to experience the journey of life.
For many, seeking to understand and have a relationship with nature overwhelms them, being “drawn by windblown clouds into dreams of a lifetime of wandering” (Basho 300). However, even for those not devoted to nature, there is an irrefutable personal and spiritual quality to nature, something that connects with the purest form of the human spirit. All of humanity has liberty enough to enjoy and connect with nature, even if all one can see are the “eternal travelers” of nature, the sun and the moon (Basho 300). Sunrise and sunset are experiences available to everyone, allowing one to remember their unalienable freedoms to breathe, exist, and savor even the smallest of joys.
Nature calls to humanity, with its beauty and its complexities, and asks it to enjoy the same beauty and complexity of existence.
Humanity has an inescapable relationship with nature and like any healthy relationship, it involves curiosity and a desire to connect. These elements, at an individual, national, and global level, allow humans to better understand and relate to their home planet. Similarly, nature can also help everyone better understand their humanity. Even as modern technology and culture tempt one to forget their reliance, responsibility and relationship with Earth, these core truths are essential to a full human experience. Accepting one’s part in the cycle, preserving the environment for future generations, and experiencing the freedoms of nature all allow one to be fully human and truly a global citizen.
Works Cited
Basho, Matsuo. “The Narrow Road to the Interior.” Reading the World: Ideas that Matter. 3rd edition. Edited by Michael Austin. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2015. 300-308. Print.
Commoner, Barry. “The Four Laws of Ecology.” Reading the World: Ideas that Matter. 3rd edition. Edited by Michael Austin. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2015. 344-56. Print.
Shiva, Vandana. “Soil, Not Oil.”Reading the World: Ideas that Matter. 3rd edition. Edited by Michael Austin. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2015. 374-81. Print.
