Modern industrial countries (particularly the west) seem to me to almost have an ingrained antagonistic relationship with nature, displaying such dominance that "nature" now has silky, cute novel connotations, like "aint that cute". It aint, nature is a cruel fucker and while the argument always goes "animals only kill for food, humans kill for x" that's 1. not true and 2. what the fuck else are they gonna kill for, the deer's iphone?

I don't really consider the semantics important re: humans being part of nature, but in the common understanding we most certainly are seperate, which I think is justified because of consciousness and our ability to create.

One thing I find interesting is how the ever increasing disconnect and distance from nature has affected morality in the public consciousness. Today any vaguely selfish or contrarian action/whatever is enough to be deemed a sociopath (funnily enough lumping all these people under that umbrella term is effectively dehumanizing them just as sociopaths - or whatever the correct term is now - dehumanize their victims). There's this bizarre expectation for everyone to be selfless activists, which would be great, but not really how things work. The pure shock expressed when someone does something shitty is frankly hilariously juvenile (even while often justified).

Turning away from the vile cruelty of humanity people hold up "Nature" as some gentle nurturing... not even place, it's essentially become an abstract concept. Nature is essentially equivalent to any other field trip location to most, visited, pictures taken, back home.

The point I'm trying to make here is: have you ever seen a jellyfish? Fuck nature.