Bio-Empathy — Reciprocity With Nature
Snoopy, my Pomeranian dog, a gift from a good friend of mine. This pup was given to me when he was a few days old and was like a cotton ball rolling around. I was initially afraid to take care of an animal as I was not sure if I am fit to do so! The fact that if we won’t be able to communicate with each other, then how can we understand each other? Trust me, more than me training this little fur of joy, he was training me emotionally. Never had I felt this selfless love without uttering a word and still understanding my emotions through this unknown bond. Snoopy grew up to be a handsome boy, but stayed with me for only two years. He parted due to jaundice. I usually never cry when someone passes away, but when Snoopy passed away I felt like I lost a part of my heart and this hurt me a lot.
An animal like Snoopy taught me unconditional love, patience and responsibility without speaking a language I know. Similarly there are various other things in nature that teach us a lot of things if we just spend time and understand. Nature has never asked for support from humans to thrive, but everything else in nature helps it to sustain. Living things come and go, but life on earth thrives because it’s a cycle. Overdoing anything has its consequences. Everything in nature is balanced, however this balance has been continuously disturbed through human activities.
There is this book I was reading (Leaders Make the Future by Bob Johansen) and I came across this concept of Bio-empathy. What a wonderful thought and how impactful it would be, if followed. So, what is this bio-empathy? Let’s understand this by breaking the word into two parts. First, ‘bio’ this word is connected with life or living things. Second, ‘empathy’ meaning the ability to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of another person, animal, or fictional character (https://www.psychologytoday.com) Now, if we combine these two words, ‘bio-empathy’ it means the ability to understand and feel what other living things feel or do.
So how can we follow bio-empathy or understand it better? I think one of the best ways to do so is to use our 5 senses to the best of our capacity.
- Smell — What are the various odors/scents that nature emits, how is this emitted, why is emitted?
- Taste — What are the various tastes we get when we eat what is available in nature, why does everything taste different, how has this developed in the things we eat?
- See — What are the various shapes, colours and patterns that various living things in nature have?
- Touch — How do few things get the texture they have?
- Listen — What beautiful sounds that birds, insects and thunder make? Why it is being made. There are sounds we do not even recognize or even hear when it is made, that does not mean it does not exist.
I usually get intrigued by the webs that spiders weave and the network of holes that termite hills have. How is it that these insects manage to do such lovely structures without disturbing anything around them to survive? If such small creatures manage to sustain without disturbing the harmony of nature, why can’t we, as humans, do so?
Nature will always find ways to reduce things in excess so as to balance the lives on it. However, we have forgotten to empathize with nature! Nature gives us everything we need freely if we learn to use it to only an extent to survive. However, we do not reciprocate the same way! We over use everything that is available to us for free and create an imbalance. What is the effect of this imbalance? It not only hampers the survival of humans but everything on earth!
Nature also has its own mechanism to heal itself. That is why there is day and night, there are seasons, there is an ecosystem. Take for example, when we get hurt, our own body has a mechanism of healing the wound through a process called coagulation. (Of course larger wounds need more attention). Ever wondered why there are large herds of wildebeests, deer or buffaloes in the wild? The reason is simple, they are food to the carnivorous. Imbalance this, it will have an effect on the ecosystem.
Have you heard of the pangolins? Well, it’s a mammal that survives on eating termites and ants. It is like a smaller version of an anteater but with scales and rolls up into a ball as a self-defense mechanism. The latest is that these animals are nearing extinction due to human demands and are protected under national and international laws. These animals are important as they survive on termites and ants. If these get extinct, then the population of termites and ants will explode in the areas the pangolins live. These insects then will ruin the forest trees, then the trees, which houses many, will collapse. This is a cycle of events due to imbalance.
Imagine making a movie. Even the spot boy who holds the flood lights or the ‘chaiwala’ giving the tea, ensures that a movie is complete. Every person plays his or her role for us to watch a movie! Likewise nature does not think of one living thing, but a very large whole! Each thing has an important role to play for a larger good. Bio-empathy is reciprocity with nature to thrive together. So next time, be mindful of everything around you. You never know what it will teach you that can be applied in your life!
Humans are also part of this world, we should not only have empathy towards animals or insects etc., but also with each other as humans. Bio-empathy can be practiced by everyone in various ways. More to do with being organic than mechanic as Bob Johansen writes in his book. Take lessons from nature and develop a better place to live in.
Respect nature, see things from nature’s eyes, and continue to learn. I am going to leave you with two questions to reflect upon. First, has nature taught you anything? Second, what have you given back to nature?
