Reductionism

Sometimes the world shimmers and reshapes itself right under my metaphorical feet.

The trigger this evening was an account of tragedy and unrequited love. A noble heart, an unworthy love ( who am I to judge?) and the conceptual boundaries of language.

Rules can become richer in the breaking, like compost for new ways of feeling. "Inclusive language" meant so much to me, growing up, because I felt keenly that man did NOT embrace woman, as stuffy reactionaries used to tell us to keep us in our place. I gladly ignore grammatical niceties (such as the use of 'their' instead of his or hers) if the meaning is more fertile.

Might other species share emotions, morality and intelligence that we usually consider human? If it's true we gain understanding and empathy, and we can learn. Maybe being human is just a different shape of feeling. This isn't new, but revelation is about GETTING IT.

Of course sometimes I wonder if I cobble together a belief system out of the worst sort of cherry-picking.