It just ain't natural.

Does human behaviour disturb natural processes or is human behaviour a natural process?

I put this question as a way to express an idea about drawing insiration from natural processes in dealing with projects and people. There is surely profound inspiration to be found in the natural world for philosophies, forms and processes that can help us live and work together. I suggest that we are more likely to identify and adopt them if we view ourselves as an inclusive part of the natural world, however we may currently view our behaviour.

My ways of feeling part of the natural world, and quite explicitly identifying and using natural processes and structures to help me understand, live and work in it, are my love of gardening and garden design, and landscape photography. Whether it be elevated histories of garden design or the daily practices of subsistence gardeners I get inspiration and understanding of our relationship with very basic natural elements, air, water, soil, sun. I've also found analogies to group relationships, to the timing of processes, and even to the hierarchy of need, that help me understand problematic group dynamics, and to prepare new groups for working together.

My key point is that the gardening analogy includes people, and so I think helps us view the natural world models as something which we are naturally and successfully part of. Of course, however useful this may be, it's only ever going to be one view of reality, and sharing views of reality with others is another key aspect of succeeding in groups.