tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560377608772771200.post8832222284150677784..comments2023-03-26T00:22:24.671-07:00Comments on For The Lulz: Plants Plantify Humans to Understand Us Betterchelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07313514894863633320noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560377608772771200.post-26360598159942209772010-09-17T21:46:14.194-07:002010-09-17T21:46:14.194-07:00Again, I disagree. If I discover the secret to imm...Again, I disagree. If I discover the secret to immortality, do I cease to be special because I might get to see the end of the universe? Doesn't that mean that lots of other things - stars, for instance - are just as special as living things?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560377608772771200.post-232586356517406692010-09-17T21:24:58.313-07:002010-09-17T21:24:58.313-07:00Potentially you're right, this is just an exte...Potentially you're right, this is just an extension of self-centrism, but I think because life has an end to it, it is special. A computer will literally continue its existence on forever, but the plant has a beginning and an end. That's the key, in my opinion.chelseahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07313514894863633320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560377608772771200.post-1166721638631491782010-09-17T20:36:31.057-07:002010-09-17T20:36:31.057-07:00I think I disagree with you, Chelsea. Why is life ...I think I disagree with you, Chelsea. Why is life more important than non-life? I certainly think that *MY* life is more important than most non-living things (and most living things. 'cause let's be honest, I'm preeeety damn awesome), but I don't know that I'd consider a flower more important than a rock. After all: why should a flower be more important than a computer? The flower is probably more complex, but my computer is sure more useful... <br /><br />As per usual, I'm not making my point well. Why is life special? What is the unique trait about things which are alive that makes them inherently more worthy of our attention than unliving things? Perhaps this is another extension of our selfcentrism: because we're alive, we see other things that are alive as being like us, and therefore special.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560377608772771200.post-29962757196598931432010-09-16T19:56:23.970-07:002010-09-16T19:56:23.970-07:00I LOVE discovering new people that read my blog. E...I LOVE discovering new people that read my blog. Especially after I've taken down the link from facebook. It's like finding a present behind the tree all the way in the back that you'd forgotten to open on Christmas day.<br /><br />I think balancing the importance of life around us with our own importance is tricky. I understand what you're saying in that public health is really important, and it makes sense to me that it's the number one priority. But I really do think that because of our very limited capabilities and scope of reality, I know why we consider plants as "lesser life." They don't have emotions, they don't talk, they can't even move an appreciable amount, and that's how we understand life. I am truly incapable of understanding what it is like to be a plant, so I have zero knowledge of how much it hurts or affects plants when we pollute the earth. It's much easier to empathize with humans because that's just how our brains work.<br /><br />I think what's even more interesting is how frequently we talk about how awesome our brains and biology are (and don't get me wrong, they're massively impressive) but we overlook how limited they are too. I love this one monologue by one on Battlestar Galactica when he talks about how much he wishes he were a robot and not trapped in human form because he can't do things like see beyond a limited range of the electromagnetic spectrum. I mean, we really are limited in so many ways that we don't think of.<br /><br />I don't know that I think it's important we emphasize plant life as much as human life, but I think it would be cool if we could at least appreciate that just because life differs from our own, doesn't make it any less valuable or important. Maybe it's still not important to us, but in the big picture, life is life. I mean, if there is a God, I seriously doubt he thinks we're more important than any of his other creations. He probably sees the whole planet as a microcosm of biological activity, and we just happen to be the dominating species. From our perspective, we're obviously the most important. From his perspective? Probably not so much. Doesn't make either viewpoint right or wrong, but I think it's important to acknowledge the difference.chelseahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07313514894863633320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560377608772771200.post-58972304744964362142010-09-16T19:41:34.482-07:002010-09-16T19:41:34.482-07:00It's refreshing to hear that someone else sort...It's refreshing to hear that someone else sort of empathizes with - shall I call it "non-humanity?" That treating a flower as more than simply it's physical state of flower-ness is maybe even a natural inclination towards, as you say, personifying the world around us? Even in environmental engineering, a lot of the effort, it seems, to be to make sure that humanity does not suffer the ill affects of pollution and whatnot, with the rest of non-humanity holding secondary status. Don't get me wrong, public health is always a good thing, but sometimes it just seems that we're lording over a world which we think we have the exclusive privilege to do whatever we want, no matter what. And so I think to myself, isn't the world we live in worth something more than just being the world in which we exist?<br /><br />PS: Bamboo plants last forever. I've got a few stalks in my room and they're ridiculously easy to take care of.<br /><br />PPS: I love reading your blog. :)DSagenoreply@blogger.com