Emma Richey - Nature and Its Anthropomorphism

In our most recent class discussion of nature on the Appalachian Trail, we brought up the harm of anthropomorphizing the animals that inhabit our environment. As explorers on journeys on the AT and various other trails, we have to respect nature by not inhibiting it, and thus not engaging in anthropomorphic activities. In order to prevent these harmful actions, it is important to understand the triggers for anthropomorphizing.

The first trigger is perception. We often do this when something looks and behaves in human-like ways, has motion similar to the human pace, and simply has similarity to ourselves. Relating other animals to aspects of ourselves, puts us in a dangerous place for anthropomorphizing the wildlife we see on our hikes. Secondly, our explanation of animals’ behaviors also prompts anthropomorphism. Unexpected performances and outcomes as well as complexity of creature’s behaviors cause us to fall into this dangerous trap. Lastly, our social connections are our greatest downfall when it comes to anthropomorphizing. Caring about animals by their mere presence in addition to wanting social connections to prevent loneliness causes us to find comfort in animals that we have places there ourselves; instead of human comfort, we have put that pressure on animals instead.

Although it may seem quite easy to disrupt nature through anthropomorphism, being aware of its triggers and how we can react to wildlife in a nondisruptive manner is key for protecting our local and national trails.