There is a thought I hear quite often. It’s presented with such confidence that those who say it seem to think the matter settled. This is how it goes: humans are most human when they surrender to their appetites and abandon all to instinct. To resist one’s impulse is to deny one’s self. Remarkably, this sounds similar to the way we understand animals to be.
Rather than further this notion –that to be human we must be animals– I would like to present its opposite. Humans do not need to aspire to be animals, rather, animals should aspire to be more like humans, and what better way than to drink tea with clothes on?
Here’s a series of animals drinking tea painted … in tea!
“If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you.” ~Gladstone, 1865
- Be More Human - February 17, 2020
- Time for Timelessness - August 19, 2019
- Seven Steps To a Better Bedtime Story - November 7, 2018
Laura Peterson says
These are great. Those giraffes are making my day better.
Annie Barnett says
So much expression – love these, especially the hippopotamus.
Brenda Branson says
These are all great, but my two favorites are the giraffes and the hippo/croc–can’t you just hear the raucous laughter?
S.D. Smith says
I LOVE these. AND I love the words countering an errant assumption, however popular.
James Witmer says
Yes! I was just telling someone the other day that CS Lewis’ made a (sort of strange) statement to the effect that training pets, making them more human, is one way we reflect God’s character. It seemed far-fetched to me, until I saw it as the opposite of the lie that we are most human when we are most animal.
Love these paintings. The tonality (is that the right word?) of the tea is just beautiful.
And is it just me, or is the Hippo/Croc conversation going something like,
S.D. Smith says
Right on, JW.
Zach Franzen says
That’s a great caption!
Zach Franzen says
I guess training pets might be a way to bring order out of disorder–sort of like mowing one’s lawn. I hadn’t thought of it in quite that way before.
joshbishop says
An excellent and well illustrated perspective, Zach. I especially like the “lion and lamb” implications of some of these pictures. Also, I couldn’t help but notice that the chicken and mouse appear to be naked—and nude guests are rude guests, says I.
Zach Franzen says
Chickens and mice are absolute savages.
Zach Franzen says
Chickens and mice are absolute savages.
Zach Franzen says
Thanks for the kind words everyone.
Aidan Jones says
I love the illustrations, but I really love your comment on the false idea that humans should be more instinctual. You really hit the nail on the head, and I felt that “Oh, of course that’s the case” feeling that I usually get when reading Chesterton. (Which is a compliment of the highest degree, I should add!) Thanks so much for writing this, and for the neat paintings!