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Key points
- Thinking about similarities and differences between plants and humans can help us live a better life.
- Unlike plants, humans can move—we can choose an environment that we think will help us thrive.
- We can also adapt to our environment, like plants do, which may sometimes be the better course.
Of course, humans differ from plants, and also from other animals.
But in some ways they are similar. Knowing some of these similarities and differences can help for living a good life.
The Importance of Movement
Let us start with the differences. Like other animals, humans can move. Plants cannot. We humans do not choose where we are born, that is true, but at least we can move from there.
Plants must stay where they landed as seedlings, and for some, that means a tough life. Think about it the next time you look at a tree, especially those that live in windy places, between rocks, or on a steep slope.
But again, we humans can move. In fact, this ability shapes the way we approach life and our environment: We tend to move away from what is unpleasant (or from what we think might become unpleasant) and towards what we think will be pleasant.
We are goal-oriented creatures. We tend to think in terms of direction and movement to get where we want to be. And if we are not feeling well or face a problem, our first reaction may be to get away from the situation.
This has important implications. The first is that we can use this capacity for happiness. We are never completely stuck in a bad or mediocre situation: a toxic relationship, a frustrating job, or an unpleasant neighbourhood. We can always improve our situation by exploring new territory and finding new resources somewhere else.
So get moving! Always consider your animal side: Do you really have to stay where you are? Why not go where you want to go? Sometimes, moving away, moving on, moving forward, or moving up is the way to go, the way to get where you want to be. Some efforts will get you there.
But then, what do we moving animals have in common with plants? More than we think.
The Value of Staying Put
We humans, like plants, are creatures deeply embedded in our environment, even if we are mobile. Our village or town, our home, our family, our culture, our social network (I mean the physical one, our neighbours, our friends, the local community…) constitute the daily environment in which we live. And like plants, we can hardly get away from it, at least not completely. Even on holiday, you can't totally leave your job or your family.
The older you get, the more this “extended self” (Belk, 1988) tends to grow in size and inertia. We accumulate objects, relationships, tastes, and all sorts of things that we consider parts or extensions of our self, and these make us less mobile. Just consider the size of removal vans and how they get bigger with the age of the people moving.
So, we share a lot with plants, too. We are nurtured by our environment, and we are embedded in it. In many ways, it is part of what we are.
What can we learn from all this? First, while we can indeed move, perhaps we should think twice before moving as a first reaction and whether that is the best…move.
Let us take a closer look at plants and how they manage to get the best of where they are. Observing how other creatures (including humans) adapt to their living conditions is always food for thought.
Plants cannot run away. They have to face the situation, and they do so, not with muscles, but with chemistry and growth. They work by transforming themselves and making better use of their environment, for example by growing their roots and aerial organs to access resources and make the best of their situation.
Move your potted plants away from the window and watch them reorient themselves towards the light. It will be slow and gradual, of course, but they adapt. Many plants even outlive us.
In doing so, plants also contribute to the life of their environment and the whole ecosystem: Without plants, there would be no oxygen, and so many other species feast on their fruits, leaves, and roots. Are they happy with it? It is hard to tell how plants feel, how they perceive their own world, their "Umwelt" (Uexküll, 2010). Nevertheless, sometimes, as I lie in the grass, basking in the sun and breathing in the good air, I fantasise I have a glimpse of what it is to be a tree, firmly planted in the ground, enjoying the breeze that gently moves its leaves, in harmony with its surroundings. This is perhaps as good as a warm dinner at home with family and friends. Is a good relation to one’s environment happiness? At least it contributes to it.
A Lesson Worth Learning
In summary, animals and plants have different ways of living a good life, by moving and adapting. We humans are fortunate enough to have both approaches available to us.
We can move from one environment to another to find resources and a better fit there. We can also adapt by changing ourselves and how we interact with our environment for a better fit here. So we should always remember that we have both an animal side and a plant side, and use both to live a good life.
In practice, this can be done by asking a few basic questions. What makes me stay? Where do I want to go? And why? But also: Is there anything I can change in my current environment or in myself to live a better life? Have I really explored what the people around me can give me? From their point of view, am I doing the right thing to get what I want?
I suggest asking these questions on a regular basis: Consider both your animal side and your plant side; do not hesitate to act as an animal sometimes and to act as a plant as necessary. Make the best of both worlds!
References
Belk, R. W. (1988). Possessions and the Extended Self. Journal of Consumer Research, 15(2), 139.
Uexküll, J. von. (2010). A Foray Into the Worlds of Animals and Humans. With a Theory of Meaning (translated from the 1925/1934 version by Joseph D. O’Neil). University of Minnesota Press.
