Birds and Snakes are Smarter than People

Every once in a while living creatures need a reset, a rejuvenation, or a renaissance. Probably plenty of other words that start with R. The world is a tough place for anything with feelings. Our bodies break down and our beliefs wear thin. Were it not for the occasional refreshment, our lives would be shorter and much less enjoyable.

The need for renewal is a normal part of existence for any living thing. Humans take this basic part of living and turn it into a crisis. Instead of simply embracing the fact we might need to take a break or make a change sometimes to move forward, people resist making any kind of change to their lifestyle. Then, when they do finally accept the need to do something different, they take it way to far. If you are a little depressed you should admit it, but you don’t have to stage a revolution. If you are feeling stuck in the muck then look for a solution You don’t have to don’t cut your feet off.

The need for occasional renewal is an annoyance. A small problem. Humans have a habit of either ignoring small problems completely, or making them into much larger problems. A small thing like the need to restart can be a great challenge for humans. Other creatures do it all the time. No problem.

To learn to make small changes, people should take lessons from birds and snakes.

At first glance, birds and snakes don’t have a lot in common with humans. Or with each other. But we are all creatures who live on the same planet, and are exposed to the same stresses. We humans aren’t all that special. To say a bird never gets worn out or a snake never gets sad is sheer arrogance. Birds and snakes have problems too, they just don’t cry about them all the time.

When a snake is having a bad time, it doesn’t stage a protest or lash out at its family. When a snake is having a bad time, it finds a cool place and sheds its skin. Shedding its skin won’t fill the snakes belly with mice. It won’t keep the snake warm in the winter. But it is something the snake can do. Sometimes just doing something, especially if its something natural and easy, makes all the difference.

If life is stressful for a snake, it is probably downright chaotic for a bird. Birds have all the same problems as snakes. Plus, they have to worry about being eaten by snakes!

The birds don’t freak out either. When life gets a bird down, and its feathers begin to lose their luster, the bird just drops those feather and grows a new set.

Whether losing their skin, feathers, or exoskeleton, animals shed parts of themselves when times are stressful, or when they are entering a new phase in their lifecycle. This process is called molting, and it is like a build-in stress release mechanism.

Unfortunately, people can’t go around shedding their skin. At least not all at once. And most people would be horrified if all their hair started falling out. People don’t really molt naturally. What we can’t do naturally, though, we can achieve through artificial means.

The next time you are having a bad day, instead of turning the world around a being a nuisance, just go out and get a haircut instead. It won’t make your problems go away. Still, if we are anything like other animals, a little molting might be just the thing to make you feel better.