Adrianna Melillo wrote: ↑10 Jul 2020, 15:07
shynmr wrote: ↑10 Jul 2020, 07:25
I think the idea of leaving the natural world as unmolested as possible is one of the biggest lessons. Had the team not interfered with nature, their encounters with the wolves may not have been as harrowing. Its "do unto others as you would have done to you" applied to non-humans and has echoes throughout society. We are arriving to be more humane and this is a shining example of why and when that could matter.
I have to agree with this. When they stole from the animals, the animals wanted revenge. When they returned the bones to the wolves, the wolves showed respect. While we perhaps can’t have quite the same level of relationships as Grant and his crew did with the wolves, we should all practice respecting nature (and I think nature rewards us when we do; e.g., preserving land then getting to observe plants wildlife at work).
The wolves that they met at the beginning of their trip were the first thing I thought of when thinking of this book's lessons! I agree. I'm not sure I would phrase it as not interfering with nature, but maybe just thinking of it as respecting nature and other species. After all, they are kind of interfering with nature when gathering food, but if they are respectful about it, it isn't a problem. I also think that maybe leadership in dire situations should be respected more, or at least you should heed their precautions when they tell you to not do something for a reason (like stealing the bones of the wolve's dead). I think that lesson is a nice change of pace from some other fiction, as I seem to read more things about rebelling against authority with every ounce of your being, but we have to realize that sometimes they actually know what they're talking about!