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In general, people will notice a "holier than thou" attitude regardless of which direction it comes from and tend to resent it. It's a recipe for isolation and alienation.
That's the old "you think you're better than me" argument used against vegans and animal rights (AR) people to shame them and shut them up. One of a great, long list of such arguments that is floating around somewhere. And just another excuse to defend the indefensible.
Another way to shame and sidestep the true issues is to bring up the "social justice warrior" criticism. But I subscribe to the notion that the most effective way to evaluate ideas is to consider them dispassionately, apart from or independent from, who is saying them or any other tangential considerations. Evaluate factually, scientifically, irrespective of non-relevant issues. This is pure Bertrand Russell, but it does seem to be a useful method if truth is your objective.
I was on an Indian reservation once and there was a forest fire in the mountains there, and the Hopis and Navajos said "the trees were frightened." This must be an example of animism.
Yes. This type of belief is very common in Thailand. Almost every single house (no matter how poor) and business has a "spirit house", built to give the spirits who previously lived on that land a new place to live. They are often quite elaborate.
I had to look animism up also. It's interesting. As a child I always had the sense that everything (plants, trees, rocks, etc) was in some way "alive" and deserving of respect. Even after I came to reject the 'religion thing' as an early teen, I still retained this vague sense that the planet as a whole (meaning the natural world) is a giant overarching organism that in its own unique way is sentient although not in the way that humans usually mean that word. It's hard to explain; the closest I can come is the Greek goddess Gaia and if I were able to believe in a deity of any sort, it would definitely be that.
Even now I will reflexively say "Sorry!" to a shrub if I accidentally prune off a live branch instead of a dead one or unwittingly startle a nearby bird with a sudden movement. It's not intentional, it just sort of pops out, LOL. I have been known to compliment rocks and shells on their appearance. On the other hand I am merciless when it comes to dispatching mosquitoes, which consider me their #1 favorite food! So maybe I am a semi-animist. Or a selective animist. If there is such a thing.
I had to look animism up also. It's interesting. As a child I always had the sense that everything (plants, trees, rocks, etc) was in some way "alive" and deserving of respect. Even after I came to reject the 'religion thing' as an early teen, I still retained this vague sense that the planet as a whole (meaning the natural world) is a giant overarching organism that in its own unique way is sentient although not in the way that humans usually mean that word. It's hard to explain; the closest I can come is the Greek goddess Gaia and if I were able to believe in a deity of any sort, it would definitely be that.
Even now I will reflexively say "Sorry!" to a shrub if I accidentally prune off a live branch instead of a dead one or unwittingly startle a nearby bird with a sudden movement. It's not intentional, it just sort of pops out, LOL. I have been known to compliment rocks and shells on their appearance. On the other hand I am merciless when it comes to dispatching mosquitoes, which consider me their #1 favorite food! So maybe I am a semi-animist. Or a selective animist. If there is such a thing.
Yes. This type of belief is very common in Thailand. Almost every single house (no matter how poor) and business has a "spirit house", built to give the spirits who previously lived on that land a new place to live. They are often quite elaborate.
I had to look animism up also. It's interesting. As a child I always had the sense that everything (plants, trees, rocks, etc) was in some way "alive" and deserving of respect. Even after I came to reject the 'religion thing' as an early teen, I still retained this vague sense that the planet as a whole (meaning the natural world) is a giant overarching organism that in its own unique way is sentient although not in the way that humans usually mean that word. It's hard to explain; the closest I can come is the Greek goddess Gaia and if I were able to believe in a deity of any sort, it would definitely be that.
Even now I will reflexively say "Sorry!" to a shrub if I accidentally prune off a live branch instead of a dead one or unwittingly startle a nearby bird with a sudden movement. It's not intentional, it just sort of pops out, LOL. I have been known to compliment rocks and shells on their appearance. On the other hand I am merciless when it comes to dispatching mosquitoes, which consider me their #1 favorite food! So maybe I am a semi-animist. Or a selective animist. If there is such a thing.
I can relate to this, and I suspect many others would say the same. Somewhere along the line, some of us got the message that it wasn't OK and put it down. Or just kept it secret for a while.
I suspect it's a natural-born knowledge of sorts, and it's one of the reasons my perception of "God" is "that undefinable thing which connects us".
I can relate to this, and I suspect many others would say the same. Somewhere along the line, some of us got the message that it wasn't OK and put it down. Or just kept it secret for a while.
I suspect it's a natural-born knowledge of sorts, and it's one of the reasons my perception of "God" is "that undefinable thing which connects us".
I wonder if the pushing aside of that early animist instinct happens when we are told that we "shouldn't anthropomorphize things" by ascribing human-like senses or feelings to anything that's not human. So as you say, we get the cultural vibe that its naive or not-okay. I can't tell you how many times, as a child, I would choose the last-of or the least-attractive object/toy/whatever from a group, because I felt that it must feel lonely or unwanted...but I'd never admit it out loud to anyone, for fear of being laughed at. However, to this day I never use the word "ugly" to describe any living creature. Never have, never will.
Last week as I was attacking a planting bed overrun with crabgrass and goutweed I actually found myself yanking them out while saying "No offense, guys, but you are seriously upsetting the ecosystem here, sorry, can't have that, out you go."
I am having a tough time finding anything nice to say to the poison ivy though. I confess that usually it's something like "Aha! gotcha, you sucker" as I zap the umpteenth one poking up in the grass with a stream of triclopyr. There are limits, LOL
I wonder if the pushing aside of that early animist instinct happens when we are told that we "shouldn't anthropomorphize things" by ascribing human-like senses or feelings to anything that's not human. So as you say, we get the cultural vibe that its naive or not-okay. I can't tell you how many times, as a child, I would choose the last-of or the least-attractive object/toy/whatever from a group, because I felt that it must feel lonely or unwanted...but I'd never admit it out loud to anyone, for fear of being laughed at. However, to this day I never use the word "ugly" to describe any living creature. Never have, never will.
Last week as I was attacking a planting bed overrun with crabgrass and goutweed I actually found myself yanking them out while saying "No offense, guys, but you are seriously upsetting the ecosystem here, sorry, can't have that, out you go."
I am having a tough time finding anything nice to say to the poison ivy though. I confess that usually it's something like "Aha! gotcha, you sucker" as I zap the umpteenth one poking up in the grass with a stream of triclopyr. There are limits, LOL
Or maybe anthropomorphizing things is just poetic license, and it's not true. That's my view. I do think violins are dreamcatchers, in the Native American sense, however, so I contradict myself.
I wonder if the pushing aside of that early animist instinct happens when we are told that we "shouldn't anthropomorphize things" by ascribing human-like senses or feelings to anything that's not human. So as you say, we get the cultural vibe that its naive or not-okay. I can't tell you how many times, as a child, I would choose the last-of or the least-attractive object/toy/whatever from a group, because I felt that it must feel lonely or unwanted...but I'd never admit it out loud to anyone, for fear of being laughed at. However, to this day I never use the word "ugly" to describe any living creature. Never have, never will.
Last week as I was attacking a planting bed overrun with crabgrass and goutweed I actually found myself yanking them out while saying "No offense, guys, but you are seriously upsetting the ecosystem here, sorry, can't have that, out you go."
I am having a tough time finding anything nice to say to the poison ivy though. I confess that usually it's something like "Aha! gotcha, you sucker" as I zap the umpteenth one poking up in the grass with a stream of triclopyr. There are limits, LOL
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