Micro-Landscapes of the Anthropocene

Where No Man Has Gone Before

For some, the inclination towards self-preservation is overridden by an appetite to traverse where no human has gone before. Humans have come up with increasingly complex and dangerous feats of ingenuity to satisfy this urge. Occasionally, one will hear the expression, “to walk in someone else’s shoes,” but how does one wear shoes that have set foot into hostile, unknown territories? If all one has experienced are the ample comforts of a warm home, how can one understand the sting of frostbite or the heat blast of a volcano? Even as humans try to relate their experiences with other humans, there is an inability for words to adequately communicate one’s feelings. However, at least with human experiences, if one were to suddenly possess a powerful surge of motivation to venture into those hostile realms, they could. This act of walking allows humans to empathise with other humans who have done the same.

But what of non-human entities? Can we walk in a snake’s shoe? They do not even have feet. Humans are physically incapable of experiencing the world as non-humans do. Hence, we have a limit to the empathy we can exchange. However, the act of walking can be a way to reaffirm the collaborativeness of nature. Although we may not be able to completely empathise with each other, we can relate through our intra-actions. When immersing ourselves in nature, we observe the innumerable ways that we are formed through our relationship with nature. Every walk is a chance for humans to better empathise with non-humans.

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