I work from home, so all my hustle is done from my house. Whenever I feel that I am taking all of the regular struggles too seriously, I go to my terrace on the third floor.
There is so much to notice from that height: other people, buildings, trees, and birds. Today I chose the birds. The reason I love noticing the birds is that I get a sense of tranquility by watching them.
They handle everything with such grace. I started to compare our species with the birds.
The first thing on our minds after we wake up is to get to work. Then when we are at work, we worry about something else. Our worries and struggles feel vain in front of the bird’s elegant movements.
However, this pattern of despising our species only appears when the knowledge of other species is limited. Just because the birds fly with elegance does not mean that they do not struggle for the next goal like us.
Most birds struggle just like us. Just because their struggles remain primal does not mean they do not struggle.
They spend a great amount of time foraging. After that, they spend time building a new nest, sitting on eggs, feeding their young, teaching them to be independent, and migrating according to seasons. Thankfully, birds can get a buzz out of their music. As Nietzsche said, “Without music, life would be a mistake.”
So both humans and birds struggle in their way. The difference is that we have to function in our constructs to get access to food and more. I join Zoom meetings, post cringe on Linkedin, and maintain professional contact with others.
All of this helps me get food and carry on living, but when I get tired of the constructs, I just go to my terrace and notice nature. When I watch the birds live their life in a natural way, it doesn’t matter if they are struggling, mating, or singing. Since they are lost in the natural process, it seems lovely, and I am mesmerized just by looking at them.
It seems to me that most human beings struggle today because they have lost the capability to be lost in the natural process instead of being lost in the constructs.
We are really the freaks of the animal kingdom because the moment we are left without any of our constructs, we start to panic.
When a modern human being is left with themselves, they start to feel incredibly empty. I noticed this pattern in myself, and that is why I started to visit my terrace frequently. Because here I can lose myself in nature and be without most of the constructs.
You see, most of the constructs of our society can start to feel toxic, and we need a break from them. This is how I take a break, but during our break, we must not romanticize nature but see it as it is. While nature is beautiful, it can be just as dreadful.
We chose this way of exile because it is safer for us, and man has the habit of loving only one image of nature. We love the beauty but do not recognize how dreadful it can get. I was about to do the same with the birds. I saw their beauty, peaceful flying, and music but was about to ignore their struggles. After seeing the complete picture, I went back to the first floor for now.
Maybe one day man will have the courage to love nature completely every day instead of small breaks and yearly vacations.
About the author
Chirag Saxena is the author of ‘Reinventing the Wheel’ and a content marketer by profession. He takes great interest in philosophical questions.