I just learned a new word. "Biophilia."
According to Wikipedia, the term "biophilia" literally means "love of life or living systems." It was first used by Erich Fromm to describe a psychological orientation of being attracted to all that is alive and vital.[2] Wilson uses the term in the same sense when he suggests that biophilia describes "the connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life.” He proposed the possibility that the deep affiliations humans have with nature are rooted in our biology.
Unlike phobias, which are the aversions and fears that people have of things in the natural world, philias are the attractions and positive feelings that people have toward certain habitats, activities, and objects in their natural surroundings.
I hear so much about what people are afraid of - fear of failure, fear of success, aversions to rejection, confrontation, fear of spiders, the dark the unknown. Oy! I'd much rather spend my energy and attention on celebrating my love of life and living systems, wouldn't you?
A friend of mine recently introduced this concept to me so it's still new. The way I understand it, from a lifestyle perspective it's about re-introducing nature into our environment. This could explain why I have a penchant for the more indoor/outdoor tropical style of design - open designs that make you feel like even when you're indoors, you're experiencing the outdoors. Open windows, looking over the ocean, plants, indoor/outdoor patios...I'll be researching it some more and share my discoveries and insights.
What do YOU know about Biophilia?
According to Wikipedia, the term "biophilia" literally means "love of life or living systems." It was first used by Erich Fromm to describe a psychological orientation of being attracted to all that is alive and vital.[2] Wilson uses the term in the same sense when he suggests that biophilia describes "the connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life.” He proposed the possibility that the deep affiliations humans have with nature are rooted in our biology.
Unlike phobias, which are the aversions and fears that people have of things in the natural world, philias are the attractions and positive feelings that people have toward certain habitats, activities, and objects in their natural surroundings.
I hear so much about what people are afraid of - fear of failure, fear of success, aversions to rejection, confrontation, fear of spiders, the dark the unknown. Oy! I'd much rather spend my energy and attention on celebrating my love of life and living systems, wouldn't you?
A friend of mine recently introduced this concept to me so it's still new. The way I understand it, from a lifestyle perspective it's about re-introducing nature into our environment. This could explain why I have a penchant for the more indoor/outdoor tropical style of design - open designs that make you feel like even when you're indoors, you're experiencing the outdoors. Open windows, looking over the ocean, plants, indoor/outdoor patios...I'll be researching it some more and share my discoveries and insights.
What do YOU know about Biophilia?
