Someone sent me a link to one of those TED shows recently, and I thoroughly enjoyed a speech by Kathryn Shultz, in which she spoke about the value of recognizing that we make mistakes. One of the things she said, though, really struck home:
“The miracle of your mind isn’t that you can see the world as it is. It’s that you can see the world as it isn’t.”
Her idea seemed to be (and I’ll admit I may have missed something here) that this quality of being able to think into the future or the past, to use our imaginations, was what set human beings apart from other species. Maybe she didn’t say that, but I know there are folks out there who believe something along this line.
But then I go to Koko.org or read some of their newsletters and see Koko (at 35 years old and nearing the end of her reproductive years) talking in sign language about how she’d love to have a baby, or telling how she was sad when her good friend and fellow gorilla Michael died.
Or I read Jodi Picoult's beautiful, thought-provoking book Lone Wolf, and learn what wolves are capable of planning for the future.
The world as it is, and the world as it isn’t, is a lot bigger than we think.
BEEattitude for Day #597:
Blessed are those whose world is bigger than the inside of their head, for they shall live a rich, full life indeed.
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2 comments:
I truly believe that's why I can 'relate' to cats, squirrels, pups, whatever ... I see them as individuals - not animals but individual beings having feelings and hearts and minds. Just a little love & patience speaks volumes.
Amen, Petie! Amen!
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