bears

Bears are ferocious, beautiful and terrible all at the same time.

This is a bear.

We rarely see them outside of zoos or on a movie or TV screen, yet seeing them this way is not to see them as they are.

To see them reduced, entrapped or sedated is not getting a real sense or real picture of bears.

When we see them in a watered-down, artificial environment we have a distorted concept of the nature and personality of bears. We humans largely see bears in a skewed and safe environment.

Because of this, we feel we are superior to bears. We have this snubby, prideful sense of dominance over them.

We attribute this to our profound intellect, and mankind's ability to use logic and invention and technology to gain the upper hand over bears.

If we were to encounter bears as they truly are, in a real (not artificialized) environment, and without the trappings of technology and man-made stuff, we would have a much different view of bears.

Our view of bears is warped by the trappings of "civilized" society.

We don't need bears.

They are not part of our daily life. We are immunized from their existence/impact upon us.

They may be ferocious and terrible, but we don't have to be concerned about that.