I came across this Horned Toad Lizard yesterday while hiking out at Pawnee Buttes. This lizard is able to squirt an aimed stream of blood from the corners of its eyes for a distance of up to five feet. It does this by restricting the blood flow leaving the head, thereby increasing blood pressure and rupturing tiny vessels around the eyelids. This not only confuses predators, but also lets canine and feline predators (like coyotes and bobcats) know that its blood tastes foul. This defense, however, appears to have no effect against predatory birds.
The Horned Lizard's defense mechanism can teach us some powerful lessons. Generally, we tend to think that when blood - our physical life-force - is brought to the surface, we are at our most vulnerable. In other words, exposed blood symbolizes vulnerability. However, when we consciously aim a self-conscious awareness of our vulnerabilities at those who might enjoy criticizing us, this act serves to de-fang them. What insult can they give us if we ALREADY are aware of our weaknesses?
I'm thinking here not of self-castigation, but of confidently speaking the truth about ourselves. This is true especially of personality typology, where we are aware that we manifest the traits of a whole category of people. For example, if I admit to others that my extreme sensitivity to the beauty of life simultaneously makes me ultra-sensitive to criticism, and that although I wish this wasn't the case, it seems to be a common trait of the artist-type - what can people say? "Oh, you're too sensitive!" then loses its sting, for I've already made the person aware that positive and negative traits apparently always appear together!
Photo: Horned Toad Lizard, Pawnee Buttes, Weld County, CO; June 10, 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment