
How I Learned to Love Bonsai - animo
https://thewalrus.ca/how-i-learned-to-love-bonsai/
======
Jun8
Years ago I was at a Chipotle and while chowing down looked at my cup. They
had an interesting text there, called "2 minute personality test" by Jonathan
Safran Foer. I loved that test because, for the first time, I saw in print a
question that I had thought about many times before, which this post made me
remember: "Are bonsai cruel?" (The test has many other great questions, google
it).

Is forcing your will on something to make it more beautiful (shaping trees is
called espalier, btw) a good thing? How about the similar question for people?
Is forcing your child to take piano lessons knowing (or hoping) that s/he will
thank you in the future cruel?

~~~
hueving
Is mowing your lawn cruel?

~~~
goliatone
You know the smell of freshly cut grass in summer? I really like that smell,
it triggers some intense memories. Then I read that the smell is away for the
plant to signal distress. Now the smell triggers the memories and then a wave
of gilt.

[https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140922145805.h...](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140922145805.htm)

~~~
PostPost
Without natural predators like wolves, bears, or bobcats, the deer population
in certain areas of the United States has exploded(1). This negatively impacts
overall biodiversity(2). I doubt deer like being eaten, but that's the process
of life, and its vital to maintain the existing biodiversity we enjoy today.

So why would you feel guilt for the cycle of nature? Without deer, buffalo, or
other herbivores in suburbia or urban environments, there has to be
_something_ to check plant growth.

(1)[https://blog.nature.org/science/2013/08/22/too-many-
deer/](https://blog.nature.org/science/2013/08/22/too-many-deer/)
(2)[https://sciencing.com/purpose-deer-
ecosystem-8659608.html](https://sciencing.com/purpose-deer-
ecosystem-8659608.html)

