The Rise of Biophilia
'Biophilia,' which E. O. Wilson (1984) has defined as 'the urge to affiliate with other forms of life'
I want to unpack this statement. To urge for something is to have a strong desire for it. The urge to eat icecream after working out; the urge to kiss someone in the middle of the hallway. These are beautifully, wonderfully innate part of being human. This is a unique part of being human is to have an ambition; in this case, an ambition to coexist. In order to affiliate with something or someone, there needs to be a respect for it; an acceptance of it. To accept other forms of life requires an amount of understanding, tolerance, and curiosity on the part of the person. With the understanding that other forms of life may not accept you back, the person still aims to associate themselves with that of which they are considered a stranger. As my Colloquium class walked through the largest Food Forest in North America, I couldn't help but notice how human-friendly this environment is. Shaun, of naturalist then said that in order to make this environment more sustainable, they are encouraging animals that may not be the nicest to humans. This proves that nature's aim is to survive. As humans we can facilitate that and this can be a form of biophilia.
"Biophobia in all its forms similarly shrinks the range of experiences and joys in life in the same way that the inability to achieve close and loving relationships limits human life."
I want to unpack this statement. To urge for something is to have a strong desire for it. The urge to eat icecream after working out; the urge to kiss someone in the middle of the hallway. These are beautifully, wonderfully innate part of being human. This is a unique part of being human is to have an ambition; in this case, an ambition to coexist. In order to affiliate with something or someone, there needs to be a respect for it; an acceptance of it. To accept other forms of life requires an amount of understanding, tolerance, and curiosity on the part of the person. With the understanding that other forms of life may not accept you back, the person still aims to associate themselves with that of which they are considered a stranger. As my Colloquium class walked through the largest Food Forest in North America, I couldn't help but notice how human-friendly this environment is. Shaun, of naturalist then said that in order to make this environment more sustainable, they are encouraging animals that may not be the nicest to humans. This proves that nature's aim is to survive. As humans we can facilitate that and this can be a form of biophilia.
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| https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-e-faye-williams/i-am-my-sisters-keeper_b_10617342.html |
I will say that I both agree and disagree with this statement. The range of human experience is what we make of it. I understand that E. O. Wilson is explaining that a person suffering from depression is limited in their range of experiences. But as a person suffering from a psychosis, my range of experiences are still boundless. What I experience, no one else will. I may have a day where I am feeling less than ideal. But then I remind myself that the ideal way to life is to make the most out of my situation. When watching a boy born without working legs race to the finish line he says, "I was born to race." So yes, he can't do everything someone with working legs can do, but why measure up his experience when he is living his own truth? I believe biophobia does not allow for an experience that is rewarding, but there are other rewarding experiences.
Seventh, love, as Eric Fromm (1989) wrote, is an art, the practice of which requires 'discipline, concentration and patience throughout ever phase of life.'"
The idea that love is an art is new concept for me. I have never considered love as anything other than a strong emotion. But, being that it can be seen as an art gives it more of a tangible thing for everybody. To practice love can be as developmental as learning a new skill. Practicing love on nature for example may manifest in different ways. It may be instead of killing the spider in your home to helping it escape the home. It could mean planting your own vegetables and loving on it during its seasons. To become a well practiced lover is to be diligent and well-meaning.
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Seventh, love, as Eric Fromm (1989) wrote, is an art, the practice of which requires 'discipline, concentration and patience throughout ever phase of life.'"
The idea that love is an art is new concept for me. I have never considered love as anything other than a strong emotion. But, being that it can be seen as an art gives it more of a tangible thing for everybody. To practice love can be as developmental as learning a new skill. Practicing love on nature for example may manifest in different ways. It may be instead of killing the spider in your home to helping it escape the home. It could mean planting your own vegetables and loving on it during its seasons. To become a well practiced lover is to be diligent and well-meaning.
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| https://www.epaabuse.com/11895/news/you-can-love-nature-and-still-hate-the-epa/ |
Orr, D. W. (2011). Love It Or Lose It: The Coming Biophilia Revolution. In University Colloquium: A Sustainable Future(pp. 186-213). Fort Myers, FL: Florida Gulf Coast University.
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