A Bird’s Brain Can Teach Us Something
Aesop knew that observing the natural world can be instructive
On this sunny summer morning I was walking around outside my house and noticed three birds — two magpies and a crow. What they were doing was instructive with respect to how we regard things and use our opportunities in the moment.
The crow was perched on the top of a 3-rail fence. One of the magpies was on the bottom rail underneath the crow. He would look up at the crow and he’d hop from side to side to get a better view. Then he’d hop up to the second rail of the fence look some more. Then he would hop up threateningly toward the crow, pointing his long black bill at him. Then he’d flap back to the bottom rail and repeat the process. He’d get up his nerve and finally he’d jump up, aiming his bill at the crow’s feet. Obviously, the magpie was worried that the crow was there. Maybe he thought the crow would compete for food. Maybe something else about the crow bugged him. But the crow, who was bigger than the magpie, just looked casually around. As the magpie leaped toward him, the crow would occasionally notice and ruffle his wings a bit, but he didn’t seem concerned.
Meanwhile, about ten feet away, another magpie was walking along the ground, looking from side-to-side. He was discovering stuff to eat. He’d spot a tidbit, gobble it up. He was getting closer to a dumpster and as he did he found more items (because some humans are lousy shots when it comes to getting all their garbage into the dumpster). He seemed oblivious to the minor drama that was occurring just a few feet away with the other magpie and the crow. He was finding tasty things and enjoying them. He wasn’t worried about crows. He didn’t feel the need to join the other magpie in his anti-crow activities.
The magpie attempting to chivvy the crow got bolder. He jumped more vigorously. Eventually, the crow shifted his feet on the fence, turned around and flew off as though he’d just thought of something he’d rather do. And the “protesting” magpie chased after him! He wasn’t satisfied.
Isn’t that how we sometimes are? We look for what we imagine are threats and focus on them. We get all perturbed and start jumping around trying to make them go away. Because they might cause problems for us sometime, right? The thing is, we don’t see being preoccupied with resisting unwanted things as a problem in itself. So we get riled up about the big bad “crows” we notice – government, corporations, the economy, other groups of people, the environment, etc. — and then we spend our time fixated on the “problem areas” like bird brains because we think we’re going to make our life better.
Meanwhile, others let life unfold without fuss. They mind their own business and, as they stroll along, they notice good things and enjoy them. While the activists are busy resisting potential threats, the non-activists are experiencing well-being. By not wasting their time putting attention on what they don’t like, they have the bandwidth to experience what they do like.
Which of these two magpies was actually enjoying life? Which was using his time productively? Which was making the most of the opportunity to have a pleasant morning?
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After writing this post, I came across the following album. That can’t be a coincidence, can it?
Click the image below; it’s a good one.
