Empathy towards nature
Empathy towards nature: A call to change our relationship with the earth
This text is part of the first Createll series, where each of us put their own lense on the subject of empathy.
Read the whole series here: Confusions, conflations and confabulations in defining Empathy | In Favor of Primordial Compassion | Addict | Empathy is medicine, and the dosage matters | Empathy towards Nature
Nature is not just something we can see out the window or visit on a weekend camping trip. It is not something we can ignore or take for granted. Nature is an integral part of our lives, and our relationship with it shapes who we are and how we live.
Have you ever stopped to think about how we build our homes? The way we construct our living spaces is a reflection of our perceived relationship with nature. We build walls to keep nature out, we pave over green spaces, and we create artificial environments that are comfortable, disconnected from the uncomfortable natural world. But is this really the way we want to live? Is this the kind of relationship we want to have with nature?
The hyper-insulated house of the 21st century is slick, high-tech and immune to the changes outside. One can spent the whole day not knowing what the weather is like, where the sun passes, what the rain sounds like. There are filters to purify the air that we intoxicated, soundproofing for the cars crowding on the streets, thermostats and sensors. Buffers.
The relationship this describes is one of isolation from nature. Of total lack of communication. Nature is getting destroyed, and we're huddled up inside, oblivious.
Think about how it feels to wake up in a bedroom filled with natural light, to breathe in fresh air, to have greenery around you. Think about how it feels to have a connection to the earth, to feel grounded and centered. To know when the clouds are turning to rain and close the shutters. To have your coffee while basking in the Eastern sun in the morning. We need more of nature in our homes and in our lives.
But it's not just about the way we build our homes. It's also about the way we interact with nature on a daily basis. It's about taking time to appreciate the beauty of the natural world, to listen to the birds singing, to feel the sun on our skin, respecting nature, not exploiting it. And being mindful of the impact we have on the environment, and taking steps to minimize that impact.
If we repair our relationship with nature, we might be more prone to wanting to save it.
In short, it's about empathy. Empathy towards nature means recognizing that we are not separate from the natural world, but rather an integral part of it. It means understanding that the health of the earth is inextricably linked to our own health and happiness. So let's change our relationship with nature, let's build homes that reflect our empathy, and let's start living in harmony with the earth.
Nature is not just a resource, but a companion and a friend. Let's treat it as such. Let's start building homes that are not just a shelter but a sanctuary, not just a possession but a connection, let's make our home a reflection of our love and empathy towards nature.
Nature is not just outside, it's also inside of us. Let's reconnect with it and build homes that are not just a physical structure but a reflection of our empathy and understanding towards nature.
Building homes that are in harmony with nature is not just an environmental issue, it's a human issue.
It's about creating living spaces that are good for the environment, good for our health, and good for our happiness.
It's about understanding that we are not separate from the natural world, but an integral part of it.
Let's change our relationship with nature, and let's start building homes that reflect our empathy and respect towards the earth.
Love,
Jo
Jo is an architect and regenerative provocateur. She is the human behind Jo’s Epistolary of Imaginary Friends and the architect behind Regenerative Patterns.
She’s currently working on a cohort course on Climate Resilience for Homeowners.
Bad/unnatural/ suffocating architecture - inorganic buildings to borrow from Frank Lloyd Wright whose work I’m a big fan of - is one of my pet peeves. And particularly in schools where we teach our kids. So many such buildings, at least here, are designed like prisons (which even the prisons shouldn’t be) and I always wonder is it cost - does good design really cost that much more - or is it just a failure of the imagination? “Falling waters” is of course iconic its embrace of organic architecture but even a small change in how we live would yield unexpected benefits - bodily and spiritual.
However, I fear the questions are larger and I don’t want to prescribe without a better/ broader understanding. I feel lucky to be in a part of the world where clemency of weather means we live in/outdoors almost all the time. But when I see those who suffer in harsher natural (not all that’s natural is automatically good or beneficial) conditions I wonder how we can redesign our/their life patterns to enable more organic living?
I found this by one of my favorite writers/ her newsletter The Marginalian (you may already know it) very enlightening and interesting both from a historical angle (history of the notion of empathy itself starting in art) and its implications in modern psychology and for human connection... PS> I refer to an authentic empathy despite the oversaturation of the culture with that word...https://www.themarginalian.org/2016/12/14/you-must-change-rilke-rodin-empathy/