Authoritarian Pleasure Principle
Sometimes Mother Earth Needs a Helping Hand
Sophia: Friends, I invite you to consider the relationship between humanity and the earth. Philip, you once wrote, “It is great happiness to be praised of them who are most praiseworthy.” How might this relate to caring for our world?
Sidney: Sophia, praise from the wise reflects recognition of virtue and discernment. Similarly, the earth’s needs are most evident to those who truly understand it. To act rightly toward nature is both duty and honor.
It is great happiness to be praised of them who are most praiseworthy.
— Philip Sidney (1554-1586)
Keats: And the earth itself speaks in poetry. The poetry of the earth is never dead. Seasons, rivers, forests — they sing even when humans are blind to their song. Attentive hearts can hear and respond.
Hugo: Indeed. And if the earth is a mother, then her embrace is tender yet enduring. A mother’s arms are made of tenderness, and children sleep soundly in them. To care for the planet is to return tenderness, to ensure her children — all living beings — may flourish safely.
Sophia: So happiness, poetry, and tenderness converge. Recognition, attentiveness, and care guide our interaction with nature. Mother Earth, like a wise parent, nurtures endlessly; we must reciprocate.
The poetry of the earth is never dead.
— John Keats (1795-1821)
Sidney: And let us act where our understanding permits. Praise without action is hollow. True virtue is in measured, thoughtful intervention.
Keats: And in listening to the subtle songs of the earth, we perceive what is needed before catastrophe arrives. Poetry guides perception into action.
A mother's arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them.
— Victor Hugo (1802-1885)
Hugo: And with tenderness, even small gestures — planting a tree, protecting a river, preserving a forest — ensure safety and nurture life.
Sophia: Then the lesson is clear: sometimes, Mother Earth requires a helping hand. To provide it wisely is to honor her poetry, recognize her needs, and return her infinite care with deliberate and tender action.
They stand beneath a blossoming grove, listening to the rustle of leaves, feeling the quiet call of the earth — a reminder that wisdom and care are inseparable in sustaining life.
The planksip writers' cooperative is sponsoring a re-writing of this article (1,500 words) with $1,500 CAD in prize money for the best article as voted by your peers in the planksip writer's cooperative. Judged by your peers, your chance to join a community of creative thinkers and win over $750,000 CAD in prize money is your entry point into becoming a planksip journalist.
We want to change the way people engage. The planksip organic platform is dedicated to supporting your voice as a writer and a thought leader. Join today, membership matters!
Daniel Sanderson