It may seem odd, that for someone so dedicated to conservation and environmental protection, I am so heavily focused on mental health and humanitarianism. So follow along here, and I'll break down my rationale (I assure you, there's good reason).
The more I have delved into the world of conservation, the more I have begun to beat my head against the same wall: people generally just don't care. Not enough to actually DO something. Sure, you get all teary-eyed watching a Facebook video of a starving polar bear or looking at a picture of slaughtered dolphins. Maybe you even muster the courage to click the 'Angry Face' button, or, even more drastically, leave a scathing, emotionally-charged comment. But how many people actually take real action? Donate, volunteer their time, change their very way of life? I feel that much of this comes back to some deeper societal issues. We are living in a culture drained of compassion. Our way of life has diminished our empathy. Empathy is the ability to personally feel and understand the experience of another. Compassion being the ability to sympathize with that experience, and a strong motivator toward action. And how many of us truly practice self-compassion regularly to reinforce our own mental health? If we can't get people to care about the humans living just across the invisible border line, or the ones living in the 'wrong' neighborhood, or the ones with a different shade of brown to their skin, then how can we get them to care about that endangered fish species which they've neither seen nor even heard of? When a culture of toxic masculinity prevents men from allowing themselves to be seen as "weak" or "feminine", how can you convince them to show compassion to an animal they feel they'd be better suited by killing in a display of masculine dominance? When people are already suffering from depression and anxiety and neuroticism, how can we address the drastic problems of a changing climate without causing people to throw their arms up in futility? The way I see it, human issues ARE conservation issues. We live in human societies and deal with human problems on a daily basis. When we fail to address those human issues first, we have no emotional or physical energy left to fight the battles beyond that. If I am stuck living paycheck to paycheck, then I won't have the means to address deeper global issues. If I am drained by toxic and abusive relationships in my life, then I won't have the emotional wherewithal to address seemingly indomitable challenges like ocean acidification. In order to begin addressing this, we must take care of our own personal situations and those around us. We must build ourselves up, and begin to build up those closest to us. So not only will we gain the strength to address the issues in our own personal lives, we will obtain a stronger ability to address those concerns beyond just ourselves. And that is one of the many reasons why I seek to be a better and more compassionate person in every aspect of my life. When you boost your own life, it has a way of rubbing off on those around you. (Quite literally! Check out the most recent research into emotional contagion.) And when people start to care more about themselves and each other, they can start caring more about the rest of the world. So I intend to write deeper into these topics. I plan to live them out in my life. When we become better about our own mental health and sense of compassion, I believe we can become better about conservation and the larger problems of the world as well. It is hard to completely change your lifestyle when you feel no connection to those around you. But when you begin to feel that interconnectedness and empathy for all of our earthly companions, it becomes less of a difficult choice and more of a necessary adaption. Go out and live empathetically. Feel more compassion. Practice Love! Coming next week...The effects of toxic masculinity on conservation. Stay tuned!
4 Comments
Karen
1/3/2018 07:58:55 pm
Nick, you are spot on regarding no empathy. The world has become such a “Me” society and people don’t try to help themselves much less any one else. Kudos to you for writing this blog! I’m enjoying reading it and sharing with others. Proud of you! You write beautifully and from the heart!
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Nick
1/4/2018 09:59:26 pm
Thank you! I'm really glad you are enjoying it, and I appreciate that you are sharing it out there!
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Nick
1/4/2018 10:03:24 pm
Thanks Brittany, I'm glad you like it!
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AuthorConservation-focused artist and mental health professional with a B.S. in Cognitive Neuroscience. Archives
January 2018
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