“…the high point of diving is not to distinguish some rare fish but to be observed by them.”
So far, a theme that seems to pervade Lingis’ book is the theme of humans separation from the physical, natural world. In our current society, people have separated themselves from the natural world through many means. Society’s imposed taboos against taking pleasure in the touch and feel of an animal is one instance where we separate ourselves from nature. Our Freudian Ego causes us to feel guilt when we seek or derive pleasure from a socially unacceptable source; or there is a limit to the amount of pleasure we may derive. These emotions and desires are “dangerous”; they allow the Id too much control.
“It is when we see the parent bird attacking the cat, the mother elephant carrying her dead calf in grief for three days, that we believe in the reality of maternal love.”
Lingis is pointing out here that we are animals, and that we learn from animals. Our urban society of brick and stone produces too many individuals who do not know how to be animal in caring for one another as opposed to animal in defense of a territory. Many children grow up without ever knowing the devoted love of a pet, and as a result they are unable to connect with others on a deep emotional level.
Art is one way that we are able to express and experience this sort of animal pleasure and fulfillment in a socially acceptable, but maybe not always, way. As artists, we can bring this joy of the moment, this joy of sensation to the public, and I feel that this is part of the purpose of art for me: to share and express these dangerous emotions.