The Beatrix Potter Syndrome

To try to understand something new , automatically seek parallels in our previous experience : examples of the familiar look to better understand the unknown. Often this can be useful, like learning a new language and rely on the knowledge of another language with a common root.
Unfortunately, this strategy can also lead us on a path to a better understanding , but the confusion of reality with the conditioned thought and the deformed shape .
This can be easily observed in the interpretation of animal behavior in relation to human behavior, which is a form of what is called anthropomorphic . Myths and fables and fairy tales are so immersed in the provision of human values ​​and traits of animals is difficult to think of a child who has not , in our imagination , was stereotyped and printed characteristics assigned by someone with a particular point to make, or personal interest . Thus, the fox is " clever and cunning ," the dog is " faithful and obedient , " the elephant is a " gentle giant " and the snake is " elusive and deceptive ." Aesop probably started the trend, but I prefer call the " syndrome of Beatrix Potter " in recognition of his influence on the developing minds of children in the 20th century , including myself .
Beatrix Potter was a talented artist and observer of nature , who , having been born a century later , might well have had a distinguished career in science. Unfortunately, it is only a memory for his children's books featuring animals from human skin that walk on their hind legs . Their stories , a direct line can be drawn emotionally charged representations of animals in many Disney films , while the brutal reality of the lives of wild animals is hidden under a veil of sweet sentimentality .
Assigning human attributes and behavior of animals Potter is just a form of anthropomorphism. There are at least two ways that often corrupt our understanding of the non- human world with our choice of language: the use of words to name or describe an animal and description of animal behavior in human terms.
We draw examples from the world of bees to illustrate these phenomena.
When we call the egg of the mother of the bee colony "queen", it implicitly imposes all that word is loaded English. Thus, we can expect to find as monarch in charge of the colony, to give orders and , perhaps , the penalties for violation of the "law of settlements." The term " queen bee " has entered the English language description of a woman to control and manipulate nature , who likes to have people around your needs and give attention. This reinforces the popular image , but lack true queen bees, you should really be considered more accurate than the man laying in the colony, and certainly not the rule. While the queen made ​​a procession of servants to feed and her boyfriend, which is what led her around the preparation and places to lay it . When she starts to show signs of a decline in their ability to provide eggs, which will be replaced , ignored and left to starve.
As male or drone bee , who inherited the meaning of its popular name as a lazy parasite, or those who live by the labor of others . While the male bees are the obvious and visible work compared to her sisters sometimes hyperactive , we know very little about their daily activities due to the relatively small amount of research has been done on them. Suggest that it is highly unlikely that the colony itself deliberately experimenting with a "useless" 10-15 % of the population at a time when food gathering is their primary concern. Just because we have so far failed to consider carefully does not allow us to label them as "surplus ," which is how they are viewed by most conventional beekeepers. In fact , research from the University of Würzburg Juergen Tautz showed that drones may indeed have unexpected functions in the hive and may have roles in the world that have so far escaped detection . Already in 1852 , Moses Quinby ( Mysteries of Beekeeping Explained ) suggested that the drones would probably functions beyond mate with a queen, perhaps even help keep the hot reproduction. ROBManley noted that its best producers of honey hives usually had " a large number of drones " (Honey Agriculture, 1947).
When we arrived on the behavior of bees, so it is foreign to us that we try to make sense of it , it is not surprising that attempts are used to explain aspects of the world in human terms. We speak freely of bees foraging in search of a nesting site , communication through the " Bee Dance ' , defending your home , mating and the exercise of their death , as it is activities can easily identify and make sense in terms of practical day to day survival in a colony .
What is perhaps most surprising - and much less useful - this is when people invent mystical " explanations " derived entirely from his imagination and forward as having scientific validity or merit .
Myths and legends, populated by gods and heroes, are poetic allegories through which information is transmitted - in both oral and written - from generation to generation and acquired an understanding of our cultural history . Many myths are anthropomorphic in his personification of natural phenomena, but as long as we understand its origins and true nature , we can learn from them without confusing their content with objective reality.
However, as our scientific understanding of the natural world has increased rapidly during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries , there has been a parallel growth of popular interest in things such as clairvoyance , telekinesis, telepathy , reincarnation, ghosts, outside body experiences and so on psychological phenomena paragraph appear to be subject to the known physics, chemistry or biology laws. Despite the lack of verifiable evidence of these phenomena seem to occupy less area stubbornly persists in popular culture .
As part of this article examines whether these phenomena actually exist is less relevant than the fact that they have since the Victorian era, at least , is usually presented as authentic by people with a talent for show considerably higher than scientific rigor. Demonstrations " events in the world of the spirit" were fashionable in the company at the end of the nineteenth century, when ouija and 'table- critical " floated in and out of fashion almost to this day , despite the efforts . rationalists like James Randi and Derren Brown to expose the strings behind Variations on the theme "clairvoyance" have existed at least since the days of the Oracle of Delphi - probably the first example of a tourism industry around a mystical cult - and show no sign of losing popularity , despite several public exhibitions fraud busting myth and deception.
Rudolf Steiner, in his lectures on bees, delivered in November and December 1923 at the Goetheanum in Dornach , Switzerland , attempted to interpret the world of bees through " anthroposophy ," a Christianized version of Eastern mysticism 19th century derivative " religious philosophy " of Theosophy , the most famous defender, Helena Blavatsky , was also a clairvoyant do . Both Steiner and Blavatsky claimed to draw their hidden knowledge from outside the world of matter through a process that is now called "channeling ."
Steiner believed mankind had existed on Earth - but not necessarily in the material - since its inception, and created the bees (and other animals) for our benefit. This historical truth investment revealed by fossil evidence - bees have certainly been around for over 100 million years before Homo sapiens - the basis for further dubious claims , as when he speaks of queens embryos "give birth" to somehow causes a swarm of "fear" of the colony and has not bee venom . "
Anyone familiar with idiosyncratic cosmology Steiner and his other writings on the alleged history of the Earth can be surprised by such passages as :
" Our land was once in a situation that you could tell he was surrounded by clouds that were inside the plant life , the periphery , other clouds came to them fertilized. These clouds have an animal on the nature of cosmic spaces from the animal nature of the land has increased the essence of the plant to achieve . " ( VIII Conference )
Back in the world of bees , Steiner is a large part of the gestation period of 21 days of working as an equivalent to a " rotation of the sun on its axis " (Lecture II) bee, apparently unaware that the sun equatorial regions make a single rotation of 25.6 days, while the polar regions rotate once in about 36 days ( NASA) .
He goes on to say that "the drone is an earthly being" ( because its realization is longer than the rotation of the sun - which, in fact , as we now know, does not work) .
It further in this thesis :
" The drones are men because they can fertilize , fertilization that power comes from the ground , drones gain in the few days that continue to grow inside the earth , evolution , and before to mature so we can now say . among bees is clearly to be seen that fertilization (male fertilization) comes from the army, and the ability of women to the development of the egg comes from forces sun , as you can see, it is easy to imagine how important it is . duration of time during which a child develops . This is very important , of course, something happens in a certain time , that n has not occurred in a "period or longer and be something else.
As often happens at conferences , Steiner made ​​a statement that is patently false , then you must develop a sequence of one specious arguments, which , resulting from false premises , must inevitably lead to false conclusions.
It would be tedious to list all cases where Steiner is obfuscatory , unnecessarily mystical or simply false. Suffice it to say that , although not entirely devoid of interest , lectures are also a useful source of knowledge about bees as a medieval book of medicinal plants is to achieve modern surgery . Indeed, Steiner betrays his lack of knowledge of basic functions of the human body ( Conference VII) as saying:
" ... It is as if the heart was a kind of pump , which pumps blood from the pumping heart through the body . Makes no sense , since it is actually the blood which is moved by the organization itself, and moves through the body. "
However, Steiner made ​​some mystical statements should not be taken into account , since at least fall in line with observable reality . Warns against bees that lead to overproduction , drawing a parallel with the dairy industry ( Conference V) , which states that "... the bee colony is a whole shall be considered as a whole. ( Conference V ) great hype . " , But often misquoted ," forecast " made ​​by Steiner, often misidentified as" prophecy " of the disappearance of bees in general, equivalent to a softer critique of then relatively new practice of artificial insemination "... to see how things will be in 50-80 years time ... ".
Just down the final conference , we found clear evidence that the views of Steiner nature is actually very anthropocentric
" So we can say . When we look at things the right way , we see how the processes of nature are actually images and symbols of what happens in human life the men of the old saw birds in the juniper trees with the same love with which you look at the cupcakes and gifts on the Christmas tree . " ... So I talked juniper , which can really be considered a kind of Christmas tree, and it is the same for birds and flowers for the bees , ants and bees in wood and wood insects in general. "
And if Steiner personal mysticism and sentimentality , is found to have a significant component of anthropomorphism that lurk within it.
At this stage of our analysis , we must examine what remains : it would be a legitimate method for the study of bees , which would free the elephant signs anthropocentrism , anthropomorphism , sentimentality and mysticism , but can cover the sensation felt by many of those who come into contact with bees that there is " something more " present , beyond the purely material ?
A rationalist would say , "observed without interpretation : see what's there and as accurately as possible without overlapping meaning . Be true to observable reality .
And yet , many people report some kind of transcendental experience in the presence of bees in the body , so that the reports are written off as a mere fantasy?
Speaking from my own experience , I can say that working with bees and maintaining a calm and quiet attitude, I had moments of inner peace like that I too have experienced during meditation or certain practices martial arts for "always in mind ." Having bare hands one by one bee hive containing 50,000 fully armed in a way to focus the minds of many at the time, while any deviation from the "now" is liable to be punished more quickly and with greater severity staff Zen master .
Be present " in the moment" is a rare - and therefore more valuable - the experience of Twitter -Dweller 21st century our ancestors. For the chance to experience that feeling of eternity in the company of a wild creature thousands of years of our high is a privilege that beekeepers must celebrate and enjoy .
Mysticism has had its day . We 're adults now , we have seen the atomic bomb and the double helix and we must agree with objective reality in all its wonderful forms without assigning all phenomena beyond our understanding of the work of the gods , aliens , fairies or gnomes. We appreciate nature without projecting our aspirations or values ​​in it. We can see forever without having to know the " hidden meaning " of what we see hear , smell and taste . We can be raised by what surrounds us and enjoy all the sensations available in this beautiful natural environment. Even we can compose poems and songs , myths and fables for us and our children entertained , but will not have to sit at the feet of all-too- mortal men exercise authority on the status and ignoring us authentic experience of the mysteries of life.