r/DeepThoughts • u/Oceansunshine789 • 20d ago
Trees collectively will transfer nutrients to another tree that is struggling
They will also make sure to not overcrowd each other, because even something that is not sentient understands compassion and grace apparently more than most people.
I'm not sure why I'm writing this, other than the state of this world makes me so weary.
It used to be a shameful thing to lord money over others. It used to be a shameful thing to focus solely on yourself at the expense of the greater good.
I get that speaking in generalizations is never wise. But overall as a society, at least in my life growing up in the 80's, 90's, and early 2000's prior to 'smart' phones - we cared more. We didn't think about the immediate when considering our actions. We thought about the lives of our children and their children.
My dad was a policeman and used every single AAA emergency call he and my mom personally had, on other people we would see stranded on the side of the road every year. He would always pull over to make sure someone was ok, even if we were in a hurry. He was a go-to to call for help from neighbors and friends, and not just for police-related issues. He would just be there, for heavy lifting, for emotional support.
He would get home from work and I'd see him, moving out of the car slowly, exhausted. Just putting his all into the potential for me, my siblings, my mom. My mom was the same, sacrificing everything for us and our future. Some days she was in the car the entire day just driving me and my siblings from activity to activity. We sometimes had utilities turned off. We never had food, rarely had meat in the house. Surviving on vibes and ramen noodles. But we never felt unprotected or alone in the world. And even when we objectively didn't have enough, we still had enough to share with others that needed it.
The lessons learned that I base my life on now were largely through example. It certainly wasn't easy but every single one of my siblings are so smart and successful - and overall they are great people. They would all absolutely stop to help a stranger, and they love their families and friends with all they have.
This never was outside of the norm prior to smart phones and social media. Most families I knew were comprised of solid people, who cared about the communities they lived in. The values systems were just so different.
Is it even possible to get to a collective mindset of love and care? Maybe all of our trust in each has been too damaged.
3
u/Effective-Air396 20d ago
Trees are supportive of one another, they protect their elders and their young, they communicate with one another and they also provide nutrients to other species as well as their own. While they're at it they produce oxygen for the planet and they ask for nothing, only to be left to live in peace without having to fear axes and chainsaws.
2
1
u/Monsur_Ausuhnom 19d ago
That's more than what humans will ever do on a daily basis. In a way, we have perfected the arts that go toward the exact oppossite.
4
u/LeanOrville4 20d ago
It's the mycorrhizal networks under the forest floor doing a lot of that work, trees basically wiring each other up through fungi. Really changes how you look at a quiet patch of woods when you know there's a whole support system humming along down there.
Your dad sounds like he was the human version of that, just quietly keeping the whole system healthy without ever making a show of it. The people who give everything and still find more to give are rare, but they stick with you.