Unnatural Nature

Let me begin by asking you a question. What do you think of when I say the word nature? What do you picture in your mind?

Trees, streams, deer, rocks no doubt.

Now let me ask you what connotations the word nature has? What do you associate with the concept of nature? Take your time to think...

I think it would be fair to assume you associate nature and the natural with being pristine, healthy, harmonious, and benevolent. All of these are notions of nature that we all have. Why not? Nature is of course natural. Natural is correct. We buy products deemed natural because we believe these are in some way more beneficial or proper for consumption. If you see a shampoo that is deemed “all natural” would you not buy this instead of the no doubt chemically engineered counterpart?

We idealize the weekend getaway spot as somewhere to relax and reconnect with our long lost friend nature. Nature is beautiful. That is simply true is it not?

Is it possible though that this view of nature is something that is in fact constructed? Could it be that this shared understanding of the world is in fact a shared construction of the world?
I believe that our shared view of nature is in fact one of many concepts we falsely hold to be true. We seldom stop to ask ourselves “why?” these days. Why is the most important question we can ask. The way we think should not be exempt from that fundamentally important question… why?

Before I continue on this expedition for public recognition of the importance of internal investigation, I must refute my earlier assumptions of the idealized notion of nature.
If nature is so clean and pristine then why can most of us not eat a dish that has even the most miniscule hair in it? Would it not be more succinct with nature to eat our foods raw just as our animal brethren do? I think it is naive to believe that every thing natural is beneficial. What of the ravaging diseases our wonderful natural world bestows upon us? Leprosy and Ebola are as natural as the fresh spring water stream your precious bottled water comes from. Sure, camping is relaxing and fun but do you witness the wolf meticulously removing the flesh from a young fawn? Even more importantly, would you find camping so relaxing had you not had your immaculate, luxurious, unnatural palace to return to?

I take it you are getting the point. We must recognize that our conceptions of the world around us are often instilled in us unknowingly. Even our tendency to simply accept things for the way they are simply because that is the way they are, is learned. Most knowledge we acquire is based on assumptions. The history book says it happened this way, therefore, it did. Who wrote that book? Why is that version given to us?

If anything, I hope this little exercise in analysis has motivated you to question some fundamental aspects of your everyday life. Perhaps you are questioning the tradition of makeup, or the ritualistic consumption of media and products. If you can start to question simple things and understand that we are conditioned to think certain ways then you are beginning to understand the rules of the game. If you know the rules of the game, you can play the game to win. Sounds vague doesn’t it. It is. But my friends, that will be a topic of discussion for next time. In a segment I like to call: The game of life, who really wins and why?