Ah, Kate, so gorgeous, so insightful, so fresh! This essay is sure to be the highlight of my week. Thank you for giving me a fresh perspective on our true nature as "interconnected outposts of one much larger thing."
My favorite posts (and authors) are the ones that touch life at its most fundamental basis, that actually hint at profound truths, and here, unexpectedly in my inbox this morning, is one. 🙏💚
Thank you Kate. This has to be one of the most important perspective- shifting pieces that I have ever read. I love that you shared how your train of thought developed through connecting ideas, in itself a wonderful example of how we reach each other. This will stay with me, as a grain of a person within a beautiful world, needing our collective wisdom more than ever.
Already, through sharing, I’ve had some wonderful conversations. The question about how far the reach of a person is compared to a whale (with/without the internet);
What if anger and malice were shared - whales can be dangerous! Think of Orcas.
This is such a beautiful essay, Kate, so compelling. It produced so much longing in me. Why indeed do humans not think of ourselves as a collective individual? And then why do we not see ourselves as part of a much larger collective of individual collectives each having their own way of being and knowing. How would we experience the whole and the whole experience us if we did? I’m going to put this essay in the back of my brain somewhere and allow it to percolate. No doubt pieces of it will show up as I move through my days.
Aw thanks! Funnily enough the episodes as a whole probably wouldn't make my can't miss list - they just had these sections that really stuck with me. Still well worth a listen though. (And while you're at it I really recommend the episode 'Lucy' about humans and chimps.)
I love that, a grain of personhood. Collective emotion. Echolocation being a physical sensation. This all feels so familiar. Like what happens when you are walking through a forest and reach out to the trees, open yourself to communicating with them. It's all sensory, just on a vibrational level we don't ordinarily pay attention to. Or when something big happens on the other side of the globe--an earthquake, a tsunami, a ritual, a war--and you/I/we are floored, without even knowing what happened. All you know is that suddenly you need to lie down and close your eyes and then you're gone for a while, you're needed somewhere else.
That's beautiful, Kim - sounds like you have an ability to tune into frequencies that are inaccessible for many people. I would like to experience this more!
It has fascinated me since my first encounter with the contemplative approach to reality, whether associated with spirituality or simply mindfulness, that the deeper one goes into the interior of our being as an individual the less aware we become of any space between us and them. The inward journey becomes the outward journey, inclusive rather than exclusive. So much for writing off the contemplative approach as self-serving navel-gazing.
The truth is that my relationship with the Contemplative, Mindfulness, is more flirtation that substance. I am in love with it but I haven't actually committed fully to it. We are still just dating.
Great point about the rock! I love it when I read something that links together things I'd been thinking about so I'm so so pleased that this piece did that for you!!
Fantastic piece, Kate! It really makes you question how much we separate ourselves from others. It reminds us to think about how we connect with others, encouraging empathy and understanding in a world marked by divisions.
Thanks for a great post Kate 🙏
Also wishing humanity starts to see the great potential in we instead of me.
Such a great way of putting it!
Thank you, Dan for sharing Kate’s post! I have had many thoughts on this idea.
I know from my life experience that is the spiritual community or sangha that has helped me over so many hurdles in my life.
Ah, Kate, so gorgeous, so insightful, so fresh! This essay is sure to be the highlight of my week. Thank you for giving me a fresh perspective on our true nature as "interconnected outposts of one much larger thing."
My favorite posts (and authors) are the ones that touch life at its most fundamental basis, that actually hint at profound truths, and here, unexpectedly in my inbox this morning, is one. 🙏💚
Wow - thank you so much, Don! Reading this comment is sure to be the highlight of MY week.
This was gorgeous and insightful and so so sad and true all at once. Thank you for writing it.
Thank you Noha! I so admire both your writing and your moral compass so this means a lot ❤️
Q: Do grains of sand have agency? While some might say no, I believe they do, collectively.
Thank you Kate. This has to be one of the most important perspective- shifting pieces that I have ever read. I love that you shared how your train of thought developed through connecting ideas, in itself a wonderful example of how we reach each other. This will stay with me, as a grain of a person within a beautiful world, needing our collective wisdom more than ever.
And I will of course, share 🙏
Wow!! I'm so amazed and delighted by this comment. Thank you so much, Karen!
Already, through sharing, I’ve had some wonderful conversations. The question about how far the reach of a person is compared to a whale (with/without the internet);
What if anger and malice were shared - whales can be dangerous! Think of Orcas.
And so on.
Thank you again!
Oh, that's brilliant, I'm so happy to hear this! (I also think shared fear would not be so great)
This is such a beautiful essay, Kate, so compelling. It produced so much longing in me. Why indeed do humans not think of ourselves as a collective individual? And then why do we not see ourselves as part of a much larger collective of individual collectives each having their own way of being and knowing. How would we experience the whole and the whole experience us if we did? I’m going to put this essay in the back of my brain somewhere and allow it to percolate. No doubt pieces of it will show up as I move through my days.
Thank you so much, Emily! The highest praise 🥹 I'm so glad it's given you something to reflect on. This is why I love Substack ❤️
Me too!
So beautiful, Kate! Going to have to go listen to those podcasts :)
Aw thanks! Funnily enough the episodes as a whole probably wouldn't make my can't miss list - they just had these sections that really stuck with me. Still well worth a listen though. (And while you're at it I really recommend the episode 'Lucy' about humans and chimps.)
I love that, a grain of personhood. Collective emotion. Echolocation being a physical sensation. This all feels so familiar. Like what happens when you are walking through a forest and reach out to the trees, open yourself to communicating with them. It's all sensory, just on a vibrational level we don't ordinarily pay attention to. Or when something big happens on the other side of the globe--an earthquake, a tsunami, a ritual, a war--and you/I/we are floored, without even knowing what happened. All you know is that suddenly you need to lie down and close your eyes and then you're gone for a while, you're needed somewhere else.
That's beautiful, Kim - sounds like you have an ability to tune into frequencies that are inaccessible for many people. I would like to experience this more!
It has fascinated me since my first encounter with the contemplative approach to reality, whether associated with spirituality or simply mindfulness, that the deeper one goes into the interior of our being as an individual the less aware we become of any space between us and them. The inward journey becomes the outward journey, inclusive rather than exclusive. So much for writing off the contemplative approach as self-serving navel-gazing.
Absolutely - I've yet to make meditation stick, but I still keep returning to it for exactly this reason.
The truth is that my relationship with the Contemplative, Mindfulness, is more flirtation that substance. I am in love with it but I haven't actually committed fully to it. We are still just dating.
Love this much Kate! You linked it all together so well.
I especially appreciate the notion of grains of sand as a collective we when I think about the fact that they were once a rock - one rock.
I have been comtemplating interconnectivity all week and what you have written here is a great link in my train of thoughts.
Great point about the rock! I love it when I read something that links together things I'd been thinking about so I'm so so pleased that this piece did that for you!!
Fantastic piece, Kate! It really makes you question how much we separate ourselves from others. It reminds us to think about how we connect with others, encouraging empathy and understanding in a world marked by divisions.
Thank you Mo, I'm so glad you liked it!