Human-centric vs. Life-centric Perspective

maryannsimonds — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:26:15 +0000

For centuries, modern humans have viewed the world from the human’s perspective. This view does not allow us to think, feel, or sense the whole system of life in which we interact and live. Native people needed to connect with nature in order to survive, but our modern technological age has moved us away from nature into a human-centric void.

Now is a critical time for humanity and for all life. It is imperative that we humans exercise our ability to view the world not only from our perspective but from that of all species. Don’t simply observe the world; be a participant! Learn to look “with” instead of “at” animals. Be one with all that is around us, even if all you can do is imagine it. Imagination will set the blueprint for becoming -which will cultivate a deeper connection with all life.

Our inner and outer natures are closely related. What we believe affects how we “see’ the world. Change your beliefs, and you change your world view. Even if all that you can do is to mimic your dog for a day -try it and see how your feel at the end of the day. Take time to sit in a garden and become part of the bird life by listening to the songs, the cycles… the rhythms of nature. Begin each day by breathing in the air being exchanged by plants and animals. This is the same air that has been breathed for millions of years. Begin the shift from human-centric to life-centirc and feel how your views change.

Anthropomorphism vs. Zooanthropomorphism

maryannsimonds — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:05:38 +0000

Many years ago while I was giving a paper at a Cetacean conference on human-animal interactions with dolphins, a colleague raised his hand and stated that I was being “anthropomorphic” in my assignment of temperament traits to dolphins. Well, I responded quickly (feeling the “curse of the scientist”) that to the contrary we humans were being very zooanthropomorphic in our assignment of animal emotions to humans. Since animals have existed for millions of years before humans and have such demonstrated a wide expanse of emotions, then it is our human-centric view that sees ourselves as the center or the universe and therefore we are incorrect in viewing emotions in animals as anthropomorphic.

Mary Ann Simonds

Human-centric vs. Life-centric Perspective

Anthropomorphism vs. Zooanthropomorphism