How ‘nature’ showed me the true nature of conflict
The following is a story showing how ‘nature,’ by which I mean non-human life, has shown me some truth about my human existence that I didn’t know before. I’ve put nature in quotes because the world, including human life, IS nature and we are not separate from nature. However, there is a benefit in spending time in and observing the non-human natural world to communicate some truths.
To the story.
I’ve been dealing with a conflict between several organisations for over six months.
I have approached this as an opportunity for all parties involved to learn from the process and grow for the greater good of the community.
At some point, I was inspired by a kale plant I have been growing from a cutting to see this situation more clearly.
You’ll see from this photo how my perennial kale plant (which I had grown from a cutting) looked when I returned from holiday in August this year. I was disappointed that it appeared to be dead.
A few days later some new life had emerged from under the soil (this was a week or two later)
When I was thinking about this situation of conflict, my experience with the kale came to mind. The dead leaf appeared to be a ‘victim’ of the hungry caterpillars that had its fill.
But the plant didn’t spend any time reflecting on the violence that had been done to it. The kale just got on with being a kale and followed the natural law that underpins all life. I’m not familiar with the specifics of plant life but I imagine the root system drew on its resources and pushed a fresh shoot and leaf out of the soil. Perhaps the nutrients in the dead or dying leaf were used to feed the new healthier leaves.
This is a feedback loop in operation where the kale ‘knew’ when to ‘give up’ on the original leaf and start some fresh growth. It is so natural and innate that we don’t often acknowledge this process. It is ruthlessly efficient with no sentiment.
Humans when organising in groups are an organism in much the same way as human beings or even specific organs or limbs. They operate the same natural law of using constant feedback to inform next steps. In this case, it is dissonance in the form of individuals expressing emotions which are, in this case, frustration, anger and upset.
I used this as a way of exploring and reflecting on conflict that was taking place. Using this as a metaphor provides some distance and to recognize but not get stuck in the painful emotions and seek the opportunity to grow.
Here are some questions that could generate new ideas and growth:
- what is the dying leaf in this situation?
- what are the strong roots which drive new growth?
- when should the leaf be abandoned as being beyond repair?
- does the plant have emotions or, if not, what is the equivalent in terms of feedback?
- what can we learn from this story to help us grow as part of an ecosystem?
Usoing metaphors from natire can help us get some distance from our own challenges and provide a fresh perspective. Recognizing that we are all part of nature means that there will be some insights that can be carried across.
Spending time in nature brings us calm, quiets our busy mind and allows these insights to emerge.
