On the Importance of a Human Relationship with Nature

In regards to how we should think of nature, I argue that we should not excessively romanticize nature to the extent that we miss the beauty of the central reality of our existence, no matter how ugly that reality may simultaneously be. Given that we can only understand beauty and ugliness in relation to one another, we can not assess our situations without addressing the fact that our realities are always a combination of the two. Although we may be confronted with an overpowering ugliness, to recognize this horrible quality is also to recognize that there is also a world in which overpowering beauty is pervasive. So as a reminder to all those who feel bogged down by the harsh and painful realities that life often places upon us, make sure to understand those feelings objectively, and recognize the fact that the capacity to feel pain implies the capacity to feel pleasure and when one recognizes this capacity the next step should be to fight for that improvement for recognition without action is empty.