From Verbs to Nouns

When the forces which hold molecules together disappear, as when a snowflake melts, the individual molecules – even the individual atoms – are lost and must seek out new qualiadelic relationships if they want to endure.

The water of a melting snowflake will evaporate into the air, pour down as rain, trickle into streams and find their way to oceans. Every step of its journey results from the attraction of matter to qualia.

In attempting to control the world, we have turned verbs (the world of qualiadelic relationships) into nouns (the world of material relationships). A snowflake, as a noun, means full reservoirs next summer, which we can exploit. As a verb, it appeals to us, because we can project our imagination there, we can experience its journey, and nurture that self-same sensation within our own selves.

We have used up and exploited our material landscapes (nouns) to suit our needs. We ought to nurture ecosystems instead, adapting ourselves to them (to verbs), getting lost in the wonder of their jobs, their journeys, and their joys. And we must never take more than we need, perhaps as a surfer uses no more of a wave than its crest.

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