Learning From Native Americans

There's much to learn from ancient cultures such as the Native Americans. Here's an example:

When it comes to food, each of us has our own philosophy, our own value system - and there's a place for all of us. Some of us are vegetarians, some extend that to being vegans, and some are meat eaters. Personally, I respect all these viewpoints and don't get caught in this Vegetarian - Non Vegetarian debate.

Yet, I emphasize repeatedly: Take from nature only as much as you need.

Consider the Native Americans:

The Native Americans hunted for food. They ate meat. Yet, they treated the animal world with the highest of respect! A prayer ceremony was conducted before every hunting expedition seeking permission from nature to hunt for food, forgiveness for the injury that was about to be caused, and taking a vow to hunt only as much as was needed for the tribe to satiate its hunger.

How did they achieve this balance?

Underlying their meat eating was a deep respect for nature and a clear understanding that only that much ought to be taken from it as one needs. Completely different from today's way of life that simply treats nature as a resource for exploitation and consumption.

We need to learn something here:

If you consume dairy products, then only as much milk as you truly believe you need for health. No more. My own grandparents had cows at home - and there was simply never any question of any of us getting any milk till the calf had its fill first!

Likewise with meat. If you are a meat eater, kill only as much as you absolutely believe you need to for your health. No more.

Likewise with eggs. Only as many as you truly believe you need for health. No more. Hens don't lay eggs simply as a resource for our consumption! There's a whole process of nature happening with that species just as with us.

Are you getting what I'm saying? There's a place for all viewpoints as long as we stay true to ourselves and respect nature. But if you depart from this principle, you create imbalance. Imbalance is never ok. Never.

And what we have today is a complete imbalance. A complete exploitation. Meat, Poultry and Dairy in most cases are deeply exploitative and inhumane industries today (you will find much information about this on the internet if you spend some time). We need to change this. We need to restore balance. It can be done. It can be done without forsaking meat, poultry and dairy altogether. It's just a matter of balance. And it starts with me and you.

[Just compare the sensitivity of the Native Americans to people speaking rubbish like "what's the difference between cutting plants in a rice plantation and killing animals - both are living"! Humbling, isn't it?]

Consider also:

I find it unbelievable that there are applied mathematicians who actually use their knowledge of mathematics to increase fish catch.

I mean why would you do that? Fishes have actually started reducing in oceans because we have been massively overconsuming! Let fishing be a normal process wherein fishermen go and catch a normal amount in a normal manner and people eat only as much fish as they believe they need for health. No more.

We over-consume, by a very very large margin, meat, fish, poultry and dairy. We have brought such a massive imbalance in the animal kingdom - it's unbelievable! We have to take from nature only as much as we believe we need for health. No more. Otherwise we harm our own ecology. This is basic commonsense and we have lost sight of it.

I also invite you to read: Strike a Pause: Hunting With Respect (strike-a-pause.blogspot.com)

[Meanwhile, be assured that there are far far better applications of mathematics possible! For example, there's a whole range of applications in healthcare and biomedical engineering. Always apply knowledge wisely!]