To think like a mountain is to revel in the wildness of unmediated earth. A mountain thinker has an affinity for the wolves of the world and a fear of deer-like existence. A mountain thinker thinks in the time increments of the mountain, which is probably in epochs/ages. A mountain thinker houses his critical eye in a systemic perspective with regard to acting in nature as Snyder defined it. Thinking like a mountain is the antithesis of thinking like an ego-centered man, a capital "I". Cass Curl
3. Thinking Like a Mountain describes a new perspective that many would never think to take. Leopold describes the mountain as a constant in nature that has always been there and has profound wisdom. The mountain holds some secret between it and the nature that surrounds it, that is not understood by humans, as Leopold says “there was something new to me in those eyes something known only to her and the mountain” (130). Because Leopold at this time does not understand or fully appreciate the nature, he kills the wolf thinking there will be more deer. However, in this moment he begins to understand that he is wrong and does not hold the same knowledge the mountain and the wolf have. “To think like a mountain” means to know and act according to your place or niche. Leopold realizes it is not his role to kill wolves in order to have more deer, because it will affect the community in ways he did not think about. Leopold also writes “the cowman who cleans his range of wolves does not realize that he is taking over the wolf’s job… He has not learned to think like a mountain” (132). The cowman must realize his connection to nature and allow the wolf to do his job so that the ecosystem remains balanced.
These words imply an education, a process of developing a language of communicating with the earth. Thinking insinuates an active participant/engagement of the land. These words also communicate an element of respect. Particularly, respecting the intelligence of the ‘mountain’. Leopold communicates his experience in feeling this knowledge of the mountain when he watches the light die out of a wolf that he shot. He says, “there was something new to me in those eyes-something known only to her and to the mountain”.
To think like a mountain is to view the environment from a high angled perspective. By stepping away from the business of our daily lives and taking a moment to contemplate our presence in the universe, we are able to be more mindful about our daily actions. In this contemplation, we have the opportunity to look down upon our present life and evaluate our decisions in a wider space that envelops not just humanity, but human relationship with its landscape, and therefore with nature in general. The stillness and vastness of mountains encourage thought by reducing humans into what we are: just another layer in the biotic pyramid.
The essay entitled "Thinking Like a Mountain" is about a hunting experience where Leopold describes in great detail the death of a she-wolf by people of his group. It was during this time that conservationists believed that getting rid of top predators would allow for more game for hunters, however, this essay shows the consequences of how harmful the ecosystem would be hit if a single species was completely done away with. To a certain degree, Leopold shares their beliefs as he he and his hunting party kill the wolf believing that there would be more deer. He has this belief because he does not have the knowledge that the animals and the mountain possess and understand between them. In short, to "think like a mountain" is to know completely and wholly the workings and goings on in nature. The mountain, which is an unmovable piece of land with a high perspective carries the secrets and knowledge of the intricate and complicated workings of nature. Mountains, in many ways are patient and silent observers in the complex yet interdependent workings of nature and Leopold hints that to think like a mountain is to be a kind of silent observer of nature. In a way, perhaps Leopold suggests that "thinking like a lion" means having a passive role in nature, rather than an active role that disrupts and changes the established dynamics and relationship between entities in nature.
The mountain watches all of the animals and the plants that live on its surface and all of the weather phenomenon that occur around it. The mountain has seen countless seasons pass, and countless things happening. It has seen wildfires, great floods, and all of the animals interacting in their particular ways. It knows the patterns of all it's inhabitants. It has seen many deer being killed by wolves and many wolves being killed by humans. Witnessing all of these things so many times, the mountain knows them deeply and is able to see the bigger picture. It knows that if wolves are killed off and deer are free to reproduce without their natural population control, many unfortunate events will unfold. It understands the connection between different animals and the balance that has been achieved is perfect since it is a natural equilibrium.
Humans sometimes only think one step ahead. They think that things will be better off when they do something like kill all of the wolves; but as it turns out , things are more complicated and we end up with ecological impoverishment and less deer than before. Sometimes when we do things to keep someone safe or overprotected, we weaken them in the long run. I think about antibiotics and all of the medicine we take when we are sick, instead of letting our immune system do it's job.
To think like a mountain is impossible to those who do not listen to their habitat or seek out a connection to nature. To think like a mountain is to approach an action in an ecosystem from every possible angle. Mountains are symbols of wisdom and are synonymous with eternity (Hemingway wrote how majestic mountains were and symbolized that “the earth abideth forever”) so when Leopold asks us to think like a mountain he is asking us to treat the earth mindfully rather than a temporary place full of inexhaustible resources.
To think like a mountain is to feel like a fundamental part of the land one inhabits, and to act accordingly. Mountains sit, observing the phenomena around them for hundreds and thousands of years, which must mean they know a lot about their surroundings. To think like a mountain is also to be able to look out onto vastness, beyond one's immediate surroundings, and realize that one is part of something greater, bigger than oneself as one exists as part of it.
3. The section about thinking like a mountain is one where Leopold relates a narrative where a thought is had to eliminate the predator wolf population in order to increase the amount of game in the area. Leopold unfolds this story and explains how actions like these could have untold consequences for the ecological systems around. Thus, thinking like a mountain means that you accept your place in the ecological system, and have a relationship within a natural eco-sphere. It is about having local knowledge and being directly connected to the ecological system within our environments, placing humanity within that circle as opposed to above it.
Thinking like a Mountain describes another perspective on looking at nature. It allows us to put our shoes in nature's situation and realize that our human actions play huge consequences on the land. For instance, the hunters believe that eliminating the top predator (wolf) in the land will provide more game for them. However, eliminating a species from the ecosystem changes the the dynamics of the animals and the mountain itself. Ironically, they end up with less game because of their actions. Thus, they did not "think like a mountain" and consider their actions, but acted on their own selfish economical motives.
"Thinking Like a Mountain" means we must appreciate the world and the balance between predator and prey relationships. The mountain appreciates the wolves because it knows that without wolves the mountain range will be overpopulated with deer and the vegetation of the mountain will be destroyed which in turn will destroy the mountain. We must think like "the mountain" and know that by ridding ourselves with certain parts of our environment and ecosystem we are doing lots of damage. We must think like the mountain and think two steps ahead. I believe thinking like a mountain is making a conscious effort to see the footprint we leave behind.
"Thinking Like a Mountain" illustrates that humans need to understand nature and how the myriad relationships between the organisms function so as not to negatively alter the environment. Leopold comes to this epiphany when he kills a wolf, which at the time seemed to be reasonable because less wolves should mean more deer, but after seeing the wolf die he realizes that wolves have a place in the ecosystem, and that without wolves, the deer would grow too numerous and end up stripping the mountainside of vegetation. Therefore, to "think like a mountain" is to understand how each of the organisms in an environment fulfills its role.
Thinking like a mountain is realizing how we cannot as individuals change something as grand as the landscape, or a mountain. "Only the mountain has lived long enough to listen objectively to the howl of a wolf." (129) Leopold describes the "call" of the mountain. The mountain does not try to change nature, nor does it impact it negatively. It harks to my mind mountain meditation in Buddhist mindful meditation-- to feel yourself as a mountain, strong, steady, stable. Being part of the natural ecosystem, the cycles of life, and at the same time supporting life and nature, providing a thriving home for countless other beings.
"Thinking like a mountain," implies that we need to reconsider tourism, transportation, and consumption. Today in the 21st century, capitalism has oversimplified everything for the consumer and everything is being alter for human activities. However, Leopold calls for the need to "think like a mountain" because a mountain has been embedded into our landscape for a very long time. The mountain has seen everything and have formed "secret opinions about them" (129). By thinking like a mountain, we can reconsider who and what have been here before us and alternative ways to consume without eliminating species diversification. The ways we have been shaped to think excludes the environment, but by "thinking like a mountain," the environment will weigh into our decisions.
To think like a mountian is not only to have a constant presence and role in nature, but also to be able to understand the balance and order of it, something that has been long obfuscated by man. Leopold exemplifies this with the analogy of "hunter-paradise" where there are no wolves. While in a myopic perspective this would appear beneficial to the hunter, the disruption in the balance has caused "dustbowls, rivers washing the future into the sea." (132.) The mountian, in its grandiosity has infinite wisedom reguarding its enviornemt because of its position in which it could not shallowly interperate an occurance, but through extensive history in balance and harmony, or disruption and destruction. Thus, when Leopold calls on us to "think like a mountian," he is calling on us to not assume we knowledge from a brief encounter but ignorance for lack of extensive personal experianceb that is not convoluted by a particular mindset of the moment but rather such famliairity of the mountian who "has lived long enough to listen objectively to the howl of the worlf." (128.)
Thinking like a mountain is understanding the delicate balance of nature and the importance of the natural way of life. Humans often try to better the world for themselves by altering the natural occurrence of things. They kill buffalo to eat and to adorn their walls with. Because of this, there are no buffalo left. They plant the same crops in the same plots of land for years and years in order to sell and eat the crops. After a while, the crops drain out all the nutrients from the soil and nothing can grow there anymore. Humans often disrupt the balance of life. Leopold killed a wolf because he thought that less wolves meant more deer. He was right, however, more deer is not necessarily a good thing. Having more deer means having less vegetation, as the deer eat everything in their path. If left unchecked by wolves, the deer can soon devour a whole mountainside. By taking away one link (the wolf), the chain of the ecosystem soon falls apart. Thinking like a mountain is seeing the earth as it was meant to be: without bias toward money or greed or human desires. It is to leave nature to take care of itself - it always knows exactly what to do.
To think like a mountain is to accept our place in the ecosystem without imposing ourselves. Mountains are apart of the landscape and thus have been in existence for many years. After all this time in the ecosystem, it does not change the variety and life that the ecosystem naturally cycles through. And just like the mountain, we as humans need to take a step back and let nature run its course without interference. Our actions should not change the makeup of the ecosystem. Leopold demonstrates this cascade of effects if the natural taxonomy of the organisms in nature is altered (i.e. the wolf and the deer).
3. Thinking like a mountain is part having a constant presence in nature and also understanding the order of it. There is an aspect of balance in nature, moutians have the knowledge and the secrets of the nature surrounding it, “there was something new to me in those eyes something known only to her and the mountain”. Leopold learns that “to think like a mountain” means to know and to respond appropriately in your own niche, this is clear in the account of killing wolves. It is not his place to kill wolves, this will affect the community in ways he doesn’t understand or know and will not actually produce more deer. He does not hold the same knowledge the mountains do, who would know that was not the answer.
"Thinking like a mountain" means to form a relationship with nature by analyzing the surroundings and understand how nature works. In current day, people do not see nature on the same level as themselves; they do not understand how one choice can start a chain of events. Leopold mentions how wolves have been killed in order to preserve deer for hunters to kill. What they do not realize, is that wolves contribute to nature as well by "trimming the herd". If one thought like a mountain, they would have had a new perspective on nature and realized that wolves are as an important factor to the habitat as deer are. A mountain is always in the same location and is high in altitude, thus it sees everything in its surroundings. If people really viewed nature like a mountain, they would form an understanding and relationship with the habitat.
A mountain thinker is a person who is able to connect and understand nature fully. The understanding that takes place between the wolf and the mountain is something Leopold was unable to understand because he was not in tune with nature, he was not aware, he was not knowledgable. A mountain represents the passage of time as well. The idea of Thic Nhat Hanh that we are all a continuation of ourself--I feel that aplies to nature as well. That mountain knows more than any of us will ever know and a mountaini thinker must repect and awknowledge that. The mountain represents the ecosystem adn the wolf represents the wild life, or everything that depnds on the mountain. The mountain also depends on the life around it. There is interconnectivity that a mountain thinker would be able to recognize; maybe not fully comprehend but notice.
To think like a mountain is to realize that everything has a place in nature and to respect each being's role in the balance of nature. Vegetation is food for deer which is food for wolves. Take wolves out of the equation and the balance is upset. The number of deer will skyrocket and eat up all the vegetation and the deer population will end up perishing because there's no food to eat. Instead, by thinking like a mountain, we are mindful, not killing unnecessarily and allowing wildness to sustain.
Thinking like a mountain is understanding the wildlife that lives within and around it. This ecosystem is synergistic in that they all benefit each other and if we kill off the wolves we ruin this cycle. The overpopulation of deer leads to their own starvation as the mountain cannot provide the amount of food necessary to sustain the population. Seeing the death of the wolf, Leopold sees that it is not what the men or hunters want,surplus of deer, but rather sees the system, between the wolf and the mountain, that needs to be kept.
To think like a Mountain means to get on the same level of nature, and to view nature as though you are a part of it, not as though it is a part of you. Leopold uses this reference because a mountain is something that is solid, and something that stands despite everything that goes on around it. To think like a mountain in this case would mean to create a spiritual connection to everything that surrounds a mountain. Leopold references wolves in his writing to show how negligent we have become toward natural ways, and to realize that in order to change, we must create a mountain-esque way of thinking.
To think like a Mountain means to get on the same level of nature, and to view nature as though you are a part of it, not as though it is a part of you. Leopold uses this reference because a mountain is something that is solid, and something that stands despite everything that goes on around it. To think like a mountain in this case would mean to create a spiritual connection to everything that surrounds a mountain. Leopold references wolves in his writing to show how negligent we have become toward natural ways, and to realize that in order to change, we must create a mountain-esque way of thinking.
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To think like a mountain is to revel in the wildness of unmediated earth. A mountain thinker has an affinity for the wolves of the world and a fear of deer-like existence. A mountain thinker thinks in the time increments of the mountain, which is probably in epochs/ages. A mountain thinker houses his critical eye in a systemic perspective with regard to acting in nature as Snyder defined it. Thinking like a mountain is the antithesis of thinking like an ego-centered man, a capital "I".
Cass Curl
3. Thinking Like a Mountain describes a new perspective that many would never think to take. Leopold describes the mountain as a constant in nature that has always been there and has profound wisdom. The mountain holds some secret between it and the nature that surrounds it, that is not understood by humans, as Leopold says “there was something new to me in those eyes something known only to her and the mountain” (130). Because Leopold at this time does not understand or fully appreciate the nature, he kills the wolf thinking there will be more deer. However, in this moment he begins to understand that he is wrong and does not hold the same knowledge the mountain and the wolf have. “To think like a mountain” means to know and act according to your place or niche. Leopold realizes it is not his role to kill wolves in order to have more deer, because it will affect the community in ways he did not think about. Leopold also writes “the cowman who cleans his range of wolves does not realize that he is taking over the wolf’s job… He has not learned to think like a mountain” (132). The cowman must realize his connection to nature and allow the wolf to do his job so that the ecosystem remains balanced.
These words imply an education, a process of developing a language of communicating with the earth. Thinking insinuates an active participant/engagement of the land. These words also communicate an element of respect. Particularly, respecting the intelligence of the ‘mountain’. Leopold communicates his experience in feeling this knowledge of the mountain when he watches the light die out of a wolf that he shot. He says, “there was something new to me in those eyes-something known only to her and to the mountain”.
To think like a mountain is to view the environment from a high angled perspective. By stepping away from the business of our daily lives and taking a moment to contemplate our presence in the universe, we are able to be more mindful about our daily actions. In this contemplation, we have the opportunity to look down upon our present life and evaluate our decisions in a wider space that envelops not just humanity, but human relationship with its landscape, and therefore with nature in general. The stillness and vastness of mountains encourage thought by reducing humans into what we are: just another layer in the biotic pyramid.
The essay entitled "Thinking Like a Mountain" is about a hunting experience where Leopold describes in great detail the death of a she-wolf by people of his group. It was during this time that conservationists believed that getting rid of top predators would allow for more game for hunters, however, this essay shows the consequences of how harmful the ecosystem would be hit if a single species was completely done away with. To a certain degree, Leopold shares their beliefs as he he and his hunting party kill the wolf believing that there would be more deer. He has this belief because he does not have the knowledge that the animals and the mountain possess and understand between them. In short, to "think like a mountain" is to know completely and wholly the workings and goings on in nature. The mountain, which is an unmovable piece of land with a high perspective carries the secrets and knowledge of the intricate and complicated workings of nature. Mountains, in many ways are patient and silent observers in the complex yet interdependent workings of nature and Leopold hints that to think like a mountain is to be a kind of silent observer of nature. In a way, perhaps Leopold suggests that "thinking like a lion" means having a passive role in nature, rather than an active role that disrupts and changes the established dynamics and relationship between entities in nature.
The mountain watches all of the animals and the plants that live on its surface and all of the weather phenomenon that occur around it. The mountain has seen countless seasons pass, and countless things happening. It has seen wildfires, great floods, and all of the animals interacting in their particular ways. It knows the patterns of all it's inhabitants. It has seen many deer being killed by wolves and many wolves being killed by humans. Witnessing all of these things so many times, the mountain knows them deeply and is able to see the bigger picture. It knows that if wolves are killed off and deer are free to reproduce without their natural population control, many unfortunate events will unfold. It understands the connection between different animals and the balance that has been achieved is perfect since it is a natural equilibrium.
Humans sometimes only think one step ahead. They think that things will be better off when they do something like kill all of the wolves; but as it turns out , things are more complicated and we end up with ecological impoverishment and less deer than before. Sometimes when we do things to keep someone safe or overprotected, we weaken them in the long run. I think about antibiotics and all of the medicine we take when we are sick, instead of letting our immune system do it's job.
To think like a mountain is impossible to those who do not listen to their habitat or seek out a connection to nature. To think like a mountain is to approach an action in an ecosystem from every possible angle. Mountains are symbols of wisdom and are synonymous with eternity (Hemingway wrote how majestic mountains were and symbolized that “the earth abideth forever”) so when Leopold asks us to think like a mountain he is asking us to treat the earth mindfully rather than a temporary place full of inexhaustible resources.
To think like a mountain is to feel like a fundamental part of the land one inhabits, and to act accordingly. Mountains sit, observing the phenomena around them for hundreds and thousands of years, which must mean they know a lot about their surroundings. To think like a mountain is also to be able to look out onto vastness, beyond one's immediate surroundings, and realize that one is part of something greater, bigger than oneself as one exists as part of it.
3. The section about thinking like a mountain is one where Leopold relates a narrative where a thought is had to eliminate the predator wolf population in order to increase the amount of game in the area. Leopold unfolds this story and explains how actions like these could have untold consequences for the ecological systems around. Thus, thinking like a mountain means that you accept your place in the ecological system, and have a relationship within a natural eco-sphere. It is about having local knowledge and being directly connected to the ecological system within our environments, placing humanity within that circle as opposed to above it.
Thinking like a Mountain describes another perspective on looking at nature. It allows us to put our shoes in nature's situation and realize that our human actions play huge consequences on the land. For instance, the hunters believe that eliminating the top predator (wolf) in the land will provide more game for them. However, eliminating a species from the ecosystem changes the the dynamics of the animals and the mountain itself. Ironically, they end up with less game because of their actions. Thus, they did not "think like a mountain" and consider their actions, but acted on their own selfish economical motives.
"Thinking Like a Mountain" means we must appreciate the world and the balance between predator and prey relationships. The mountain appreciates the wolves because it knows that without wolves the mountain range will be overpopulated with deer and the vegetation of the mountain will be destroyed which in turn will destroy the mountain. We must think like "the mountain" and know that by ridding ourselves with certain parts of our environment and ecosystem we are doing lots of damage. We must think like the mountain and think two steps ahead. I believe thinking like a mountain is making a conscious effort to see the footprint we leave behind.
"Thinking Like a Mountain" illustrates that humans need to understand nature and how the myriad relationships between the organisms function so as not to negatively alter the environment. Leopold comes to this epiphany when he kills a wolf, which at the time seemed to be reasonable because less wolves should mean more deer, but after seeing the wolf die he realizes that wolves have a place in the ecosystem, and that without wolves, the deer would grow too numerous and end up stripping the mountainside of vegetation. Therefore, to "think like a mountain" is to understand how each of the organisms in an environment fulfills its role.
Thinking like a mountain is realizing how we cannot as individuals change something as grand as the landscape, or a mountain. "Only the mountain has lived long enough to listen objectively to the howl of a wolf." (129) Leopold describes the "call" of the mountain. The mountain does not try to change nature, nor does it impact it negatively. It harks to my mind mountain meditation in Buddhist mindful meditation-- to feel yourself as a mountain, strong, steady, stable. Being part of the natural ecosystem, the cycles of life, and at the same time supporting life and nature, providing a thriving home for countless other beings.
"Thinking like a mountain," implies that we need to reconsider tourism, transportation, and consumption. Today in the 21st century, capitalism has oversimplified everything for the consumer and everything is being alter for human activities. However, Leopold calls for the need to "think like a mountain" because a mountain has been embedded into our landscape for a very long time. The mountain has seen everything and have formed "secret opinions about them" (129). By thinking like a mountain, we can reconsider who and what have been here before us and alternative ways to consume without eliminating species diversification. The ways we have been shaped to think excludes the environment, but by "thinking like a mountain," the environment will weigh into our decisions.
To think like a mountian is not only to have a constant presence and role in nature, but also to be able to understand the balance and order of it, something that has been long obfuscated by man. Leopold exemplifies this with the analogy of "hunter-paradise" where there are no wolves. While in a myopic perspective this would appear beneficial to the hunter, the disruption in the balance has caused "dustbowls, rivers washing the future into the sea." (132.) The mountian, in its grandiosity has infinite wisedom reguarding its enviornemt because of its position in which it could not shallowly interperate an occurance, but through extensive history in balance and harmony, or disruption and destruction. Thus, when Leopold calls on us to "think like a mountian," he is calling on us to not assume we knowledge from a brief encounter but ignorance for lack of extensive personal experianceb that is not convoluted by a particular mindset of the moment but rather such famliairity of the mountian who "has lived long enough to listen objectively to the howl of the worlf." (128.)
Thinking like a mountain is understanding the delicate balance of nature and the importance of the natural way of life. Humans often try to better the world for themselves by altering the natural occurrence of things. They kill buffalo to eat and to adorn their walls with. Because of this, there are no buffalo left. They plant the same crops in the same plots of land for years and years in order to sell and eat the crops. After a while, the crops drain out all the nutrients from the soil and nothing can grow there anymore. Humans often disrupt the balance of life. Leopold killed a wolf because he thought that less wolves meant more deer. He was right, however, more deer is not necessarily a good thing. Having more deer means having less vegetation, as the deer eat everything in their path. If left unchecked by wolves, the deer can soon devour a whole mountainside. By taking away one link (the wolf), the chain of the ecosystem soon falls apart. Thinking like a mountain is seeing the earth as it was meant to be: without bias toward money or greed or human desires. It is to leave nature to take care of itself - it always knows exactly what to do.
To think like a mountain is to accept our place in the ecosystem without imposing ourselves. Mountains are apart of the landscape and thus have been in existence for many years. After all this time in the ecosystem, it does not change the variety and life that the ecosystem naturally cycles through. And just like the mountain, we as humans need to take a step back and let nature run its course without interference. Our actions should not change the makeup of the ecosystem. Leopold demonstrates this cascade of effects if the natural taxonomy of the organisms in nature is altered (i.e. the wolf and the deer).
3. Thinking like a mountain is part having a constant presence in nature and also understanding the order of it. There is an aspect of balance in nature, moutians have the knowledge and the secrets of the nature surrounding it, “there was something new to me in those eyes something known only to her and the mountain”. Leopold learns that “to think like a mountain” means to know and to respond appropriately in your own niche, this is clear in the account of killing wolves. It is not his place to kill wolves, this will affect the community in ways he doesn’t understand or know and will not actually produce more deer. He does not hold the same knowledge the mountains do, who would know that was not the answer.
"Thinking like a mountain" means to form a relationship with nature by analyzing the surroundings and understand how nature works. In current day, people do not see nature on the same level as themselves; they do not understand how one choice can start a chain of events. Leopold mentions how wolves have been killed in order to preserve deer for hunters to kill. What they do not realize, is that wolves contribute to nature as well by "trimming the herd". If one thought like a mountain, they would have had a new perspective on nature and realized that wolves are as an important factor to the habitat as deer are. A mountain is always in the same location and is high in altitude, thus it sees everything in its surroundings. If people really viewed nature like a mountain, they would form an understanding and relationship with the habitat.
A mountain thinker is a person who is able to connect and understand nature fully. The understanding that takes place between the wolf and the mountain is something Leopold was unable to understand because he was not in tune with nature, he was not aware, he was not knowledgable. A mountain represents the passage of time as well. The idea of Thic Nhat Hanh that we are all a continuation of ourself--I feel that aplies to nature as well. That mountain knows more than any of us will ever know and a mountaini thinker must repect and awknowledge that. The mountain represents the ecosystem adn the wolf represents the wild life, or everything that depnds on the mountain. The mountain also depends on the life around it. There is interconnectivity that a mountain thinker would be able to recognize; maybe not fully comprehend but notice.
To think like a mountain is to realize that everything has a place in nature and to respect each being's role in the balance of nature. Vegetation is food for deer which is food for wolves. Take wolves out of the equation and the balance is upset. The number of deer will skyrocket and eat up all the vegetation and the deer population will end up perishing because there's no food to eat. Instead, by thinking like a mountain, we are mindful, not killing unnecessarily and allowing wildness to sustain.
Thinking like a mountain is understanding the wildlife that lives within and around it. This ecosystem is synergistic in that they all benefit each other and if we kill off the wolves we ruin this cycle. The overpopulation of deer leads to their own starvation as the mountain cannot provide the amount of food necessary to sustain the population. Seeing the death of the wolf, Leopold sees that it is not what the men or hunters want,surplus of deer, but rather sees the system, between the wolf and the mountain, that needs to be kept.
To think like a Mountain means to get on the same level of nature, and to view nature as though you are a part of it, not as though it is a part of you. Leopold uses this reference because a mountain is something that is solid, and something that stands despite everything that goes on around it. To think like a mountain in this case would mean to create a spiritual connection to everything that surrounds a mountain. Leopold references wolves in his writing to show how negligent we have become toward natural ways, and to realize that in order to change, we must create a mountain-esque way of thinking.
To think like a Mountain means to get on the same level of nature, and to view nature as though you are a part of it, not as though it is a part of you. Leopold uses this reference because a mountain is something that is solid, and something that stands despite everything that goes on around it. To think like a mountain in this case would mean to create a spiritual connection to everything that surrounds a mountain. Leopold references wolves in his writing to show how negligent we have become toward natural ways, and to realize that in order to change, we must create a mountain-esque way of thinking.
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