Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Birds and Fish

A lot of people like the idea of being able to fly. They associate it with freedom. As such, birds get a lot of attention in our society as representing total freedom of movement. I was thinking about this.

I think the freedom we perceive is a result of the birds’ ability to move in three dimensions. We can jump and lift ourselves up, but realistically the trap of gravity only allows us to move forward, back, side to side—all variations of two dimensions. Birds are capable of all this, plus lift into the air. They aren’t hindered by two-dimensional obstacles like trees or buildings that otherwise get in our way. I can see this, and understand the appeal.

But birds aren’t the only creatures that are able to move freely in three dimensions. Fish are able to move upwards and downwards as well, through the water. So why aren’t fish as commonly equated with the idea of spatial freedom? Is it because of the restriction of the water—the realization that eventually the river or ocean must come to an end? Birds are similarly limited by the shield of the atmosphere. Plus, they can’t venture underwater and have to generate a greater amount of work in order to move into the air.

Birds are a completely justifiable symbol of free movement. But I think fish deserve a closer look, too.

11 comments:

  1. That's true. I think people just don't see much of fish so thats why.

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  2. I like fish. Being underwater feels really liberating to me.

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  3. I can't even hold my head underwater without my heart rate spiking, I have a huge fear of drowning lol... I'll stick to birds.

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  4. Trip text haha Sartre talks about that shit, did read something about him?

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  5. I like fish best ('cept the ones with teeth). They're pretty and taste delicious.

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  6. Although that's a good point—comparing fish and bird spatial freedom—the difference that probably sticks out to people is that air is wide open and you can breathe while the ocean is dark and murky and you drown.
    Plus the ocean is full of monsters. Some of which can actually kill you. The air is just full of birds.

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  7. Fish are awesome, because the can breathe underwater. And since I like the physics in the water, fish top the birds for me, a lot of the time.

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  8. Maybe because the sky is more limitless than the ocean. Also, fish are dumber than birds.

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  9. Im afraid of heights so fish all the way.

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