Aishwarya Week 12: Facing Fear Through the Eyes of the Wild
Photo by Roaring Earth Staff.
As I saw a cat walking across my backyard, it immediately jumped over the fence in one second. I was astonished by the cat’s ability to jump onto something taller than its size. But, zooming out, I noticed it was running away from a hawk. At first, I did not believe that it would be able to escape from its predator; but, I realized that it managed to run away in a few seconds.
In Science, we learn that there is a linear food chain composed of interconnections between various animals: a species gets eaten by another species, and the species that ate the original species eventually gets eaten. But, although this system is necessary to survive in the wild, sometimes the prey can find a way out from being chased by the predator.
Just like animals have predators, humans face an obstacle of fear–a fear of overcoming anything that they face. Humans live a life different from animals. A person can just walk to a kitchen 5 feet away for food while an animal has to hunt for resources hidden in valleys of forests. But, somehow, animals have the power to overcome the fear of being eaten while hunting for food. On the other hand, humans seem to grapple with a fear of taking risks, whether it be falling off a bicycle or speaking in front of an audience filled with over a hundred people.
But, the key to overcoming these obstacles is to have the power to put things under your control. It is by using your own language to have every barrier not defeat who you really are. Similarly, a cat can jump over a fence to escape its' predator by using power to communicate to itself that it can escape.
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ReplyDeleteHi Aishwarya, while science has never been my favorite subject, I have always been interested in different animals and their relationships in different ecosystems. The idea of connecting an ecological food chain and the challenges that humans face is very novel. While one set of challenges is natural, the other is a set of human-made pressures encouraged if not created by society. Understanding that environmental pressures that exist outside of the natural world can be just as dangerous as the challenges that we are inherently exposed to. For example, while sickness due to exposure to germs is something that would occur without society, the anxiety derived from public speaking that you describe in your post can only be generated through interactions with a society. This society needs to be developed and requires intricacies likely beyond the simple motivation of survival. It is important to recognize both of these situations as challenging obstacles because societal pressures need to be recognized as powerful in order to be properly addressed.
ReplyDeleteI took a look into the introduction into the Khan Academy overview on food chains that you included in a hyperlink, and I find that this example has a clear connection to the human struggles you outline if the metaphor of life and death and consuming to survive is considered at a lessened extent. This makes sense because the same instinctual feeling of wanting to feel protected and wanting to survive are likely at play when we interact with societal pressures, albeit to a lesser extent. While the source describes tertiary, primary, and secondary consumers, there is no clear hierarchy or food chain that exists in human society. There are people who happen to have more societal or economic power, but these factors can change. Even in their current form, someone's success is not fully based on these factors as it is largely when considering the natural world. I was also interested in how primary producers might have a counterpart in human society. While the primary producers in nature might seem inconsequential or feeble, I think their human counterparts would be very respected by the majority of people.
The photo you chose was very intriguing because it tells a story to your audience before the blog post has begun. It creates a fight-or-flight instinct because a conflict is about to occur. This also contradicts the idea of a hierarchy because either the falcon or cat could succeed if a conflict were to occur. This works to support your interpretation of human society through the lens of the animal world. Even the obstacles that seem to be in a higher level on the food chain than us can be conquered. This acts as an inspiration to your audience even before they read blog post.
Hi Aishwarya! This was a very powerful and insightful blog to read. I liked your introduction and example in order to introduce the topic of how humans can overcome obstacles. I never thought about how while animals navigate life-threatening situations, humans often struggle with fears that, in contrast, definitely seem less impactful on their lives. I also remember how I read before how fear of falling and loud sound are innate while all other fears are learned as we age or through experiences. This definitely makes me ponder why humans feel fear so easily. Is it something we learn? Overall, your blog was very insightful, good job!
ReplyDeleteHi Aishwarya! Your approach to intertwining an ecological concept with a human experience is so creative and compelling! I enjoyed how you were able to employ a hook with the cat and hawk relationship and then coherently transitioned from the initial anecdote to the broader discussion of fear and control. It's fascinating to consider how the concept of primary producers in ecology might translate to human society. When you mentioned an animal hunting for food, I immediately found myself reflection on our journey as we, likewise, hunt for opportunities, taking little steps to near the possibility of achieving our dream. In the midst of the obstacles we face, in addition to taking inspiration from animals’ “power [of] overcom[ing]…fears” I think we can also learn from their resilience. While animals often simply rely on instinct, what sets humans apart is we have the capacity for rational thought and introspection. Taking steps to recognize and confront our fears allows us to develop strategies to overcome them. Additionally, simply being able to believe in our ability to achieve our goals can have a significant impact on our potential to overcome fears, empowering us to tackle challenges head-on, much like the cat using its power to escape.
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