Background

I had the pleasure of having a conversation about the nature of humanity with Dr. Constance Furey. When I asked her how she thought the symbol of yin and yang related to the relationship of humanity & nature, she replied “It’s always been a mistake to think that humanity is separable from nature & it’s a common mistake.” We are mirrors of each other, a reflection of our similarities & differences. The whole point of the “Human Nature” line is to help us accept and connect to our humanity, which is interchangeable with the word imperfection. When we accept that we are indeed flawed, we are able to move in power instead of shame. My opinion on our inseparability is that it was one of the original, divine examples, that we are in the natural world to master the art of coexistence. Everything in the natural world is interrelated in some way, shape, or form. As Dr. Furey said, “We are all in a web of connection, nothing exists in the natural world in isolation.” The optimal experience of coexistence requires balance & humility. 

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Balance Beams

A balance beam requires core strength, paced breathing, aim, and mental dedication. Balance is something that already exists, it’s just our job to find it. The human body is constantly at work to reach equilibrium, just as nature has cycles that fine tune its harmony. After my conversation with Dr. Furey, I started to view my journey to balance as though I was trying to get across a balance beam. The same way that a gymnast maintains their balance while on the beam, we must constantly be working to protect and manage. If we are off balance with ourselves, external conflict should be expected. Many people prioritize fulfilling their purpose over finding their balance. We must rearrange our priorities and we’ll have less unhinged humans. The more stable we are, the better our coexistence with all other things that share the natural world with us will be.  

 

Creativity/Destruction 

It is human nature to be creative, and it is also human nature to be destructive. I asked Dr. Furey the question of what was the rose (the beauty) and the thorn (the pain) of humanity & she responded “Creativity is our rose and destruction is our thorn.” As I thought about that answer more, I realized that just as the rose & thorn each grow from the stem, creativity & destruction share the same source. Just because it is in our nature to destroy doesn’t mean we must allow it to occur excessively. Dr. Furey explained that the first step to curing destruction is accepting its presence. We can’t continue to slap band aids on the deep wounds we’ve incurred, and hope for the best. Our negligence will only prompt it to get worse. Destruction isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, sometimes it’s necessary. There are several harmful systems that exist today that warrant destruction so that more beneficial systems can take their place. Imagine the future of humanity if we learned to channel our destructive ways into renovating society. Just as a rose will always grow with thorns, humanity must pivot and learn to leverage our thorns.