Comments on: Logic versus Emotion

By: lucy

lucy — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:58:49 +0000

its weird isn’t it - you’re right emily, at the end of the day its nothing to do with ‘class’ its about your response to wilderness, where you find that sense of place and how you respond to and express your thoughts about it. Maybe we just explain our response to wilderness in different ways - as many different ways to the number of people there are. Another version is buttoned up Scots who don’t always explore or share what they think, unlike liberated Californians (to use a cliche) who express it all! And before you all shout at me - yes i know there are lots of Scots who can express what they feel about wilderness/beauty etc…. it’s just a passing thought, a reflection, and a note to self not to take myself so seriously!

By: emily

emily — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:41:04 +0000

It doesn’t have to be middle class and it depends on your definition of wilderness. A sense of place can be found in the most unexpected of environments. A friend was telling me about a friend who (from what I could gather) does eco-therapy/solo work with kids in the Bronx. My friend has forwarded the naturalchange details to this woman so I really hope she visits the site and lets us know what she’s been doing and what she feels about the middle class aspect of it all

By: lucy conway

lucy conway — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:03:48 +0000

I think it often feels, and is easy to wrap yourself up in, a ‘middle class’ comfort blanket of feeling WE are doing our bit, and WE can’t understand why the rest of the world doesn’t get it to the same level of understanding and commitment as US. I think Dave is right. It is about leadership, but while i agree that power often is sited in those of middle class and above, everyone we meet has some part to play and i defy anyone not to be moved by the beauty of nature when it presents itself whenever that right moment is. The man in the rain and perhaps your hairdresser weren’t in the right moment, but those who can lead, show, share, celebrate what is good, powerful, beautiful in our world to everyone, then perhaps those moments will become more frequent, and the need for us all to do our bit to protect them become stronger.

By: David Key

David Key — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 15:31:25 +0000

Louise: I found your blog incredibly stimulating and very salient to the current impasse in working out ‘what next’ for changing people’s behaviour towards their environment.

I think it is indeed all about emotions. About creating a new language and a new culture where emotions are given equal weight to logic. Emotion is, after all, the larger part of human experience and the thing that effects our behaviour most profoundly.

The other issue was social justice. Is ‘wilderness work’ just a middle-class privileged. Well yes, I think it could be. The point is that Natural Change is about catalysing leadership for change, and most people in positions of power are, in fact, middle-class and privileged.

Wilderness work is also a tragic commons - if everyone in Scotland decided to do a Natural Change programme, their would be nothing wild out there left! Again, the point is about ‘using’ (yuk) wild places carefully and strategically to influence those who themselves have influence. This is how John Muir started the global National Park movement - he took Roosevelt camping!

So maybe it’s logic AND emotion? Maybe it’s about balance.

By: emma

emma — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:15:10 +0000

Incredible - not just me then - amazing how this is all coming through in our blogs.
Thank you for letting me know I am not alone!