Thinking About the “Moral Call of the Wild”
By BROOKE WILLIAMS
A friend sent me this article from Scientific American called the “Moral Call of the Wild.” The author, Wesley Schultz, refers to a study by researchers at the University of Rochester that shows that our time spent in the wilds has effects beyond the increase in our “physical and psychological well-being.” In fact, according to the study, experience in nature makes us care less about “extrinsic life aspirations”–being rich, famous, powerful– and more about “intrinsic life aspirations”–deep relationships and making the world a better place. Simply put, exposure to the natural world can shift our focus from ‘self’ to ‘other.’
Participants were asked about their aspirations after an ‘experience’ consisting of an eight minute slide show of either human-made or natural environments. Similar results came from other studies, one involving the “true nature” experience of being in a small room with plants.
Imagine how hardwired we are for what is natural if we respond so predictably to such limited experience. What would the results be if the same questions were asked to people just back from a day hiking in the San Rafael Swell, a weekend running Westwater, or four days backpacking in the Escalante? Does the quality of the experience translate to a deeper commitment to ‘other’ and making the world a better place?
This article set off a chain of thoughts.
If this is true, then it would stand to reason that our early ancestors who literally lived with nature would have spent their entire lives focused outside themselves. In fact, this outward focus must have been part of our evolutionary history and is probably a major reason we’ve survived as a species. Which leads me to thinking that the current focus on the success of the individual could be antithetical to our continued survival.
I have a hunch that climate change deniers, Fox News viewers, and conservative Republicans don’t get out much. How long has it been since they’ve stood staring into the midst of a wild desert spread out so far in every direction that their eyes ran out of power? When did they last feel buoyed by air thickened by silence? I wonder what would happen if they got out more. I’d love to see a study about that.
I have this vision of the future: It is an accepted fact that exposure to nature and wildness makes us see outside of ourselves and beyond our own time. Everyone is encouraged–-better yet, required–-to spend time outside. We’ll look back and feel grateful for all the wild places that were protected because keeping them wild turned out to be their highest value. Our great
-great-great grandchildren will be born into a world with easy access to the creation where they’ll know that anything is possible.
This is surely a new arrow in the quiver for those who are making the case for Wilderness.
For the past thirty years, Brooke Williams has actively pursued adventure in wild landscapes. He believes in using lessons learned from nature’s ability to adapt to constantly changing conditions in order to encourage organizational transformation. He is the co-director of the Great West Institute and author of many books and articles including Halflives: Reconciling Work and Wildness. The article was first published at the Great West Institute.
