To observer,
Pigeons South of Society: A Meditation on the Shells of Society
An internal dialogue that I’ve carried for close to a year. Is the association of a pigeon as the “south of society.” In a realm where they exist apart from our grand human narrative. The pigeon is an urban shell, a bird of the margins, a physical remembrance of time gone by. In a sense, pigeons are what is meant to be discarded, forgotten, or simply invisible, a call that motions us to reflect deeper into the nature of society, survival, and more importantly perception. As we dive into this awareness, we find a parallel to humanity itself — a meditation on how we value, discard, and fail to notice people, ideas, and truths.
The Pigeon as an Urban Paradox
Have you noticed a pigeon recently? Existing in both majestic landmarks and grimy alleyways, they are creatures of survival. However, it is often labeled as a “rat with wings” and grouped with the identification of a city’s trash. This paradox reflects how humans assign value.
As Alain de Botton notes in Status Anxiety, we often seek to diminish those things that challenge our understanding of worth. Pigeons challenge us by existing outside this construct; they have no currency in the world of utility, productivity, or beauty. Their purpose is intrinsic, a form of telos that is independent of human recognition.
However, pigeons were valued greatly in the past. Messengers across distances, a space between two worlds. Pigeons carried the metaphor for human resilience and ingenuity in ancient civilizations and modern wars, essential in human survival..The identity shifted because the collective consciousness had also shifted. In the age of telecommunication, pigeons became obsolete in their function.This trajectory mirrors a pattern of societal flaw, where utility determines worth, and what is no longer useful is thrown and discarded. In the same tone, modern society often pushes people and ideas to the margins when they lose their immediate utility, relegating them to the “south” of cultural significance.
Society’s Metabolism
The metabolic state of society garners a constant quotient of absorbing, transforming and discarding. In a supply chain in constant consummation, energetic exchange and wastage. One can tie it in with the very nature of the human body. Where every element is needed in sustaining the whole.
Have you seen a pigeon recently? Often scavenging on scraps. They process what society leaves behind, turning trash into sustenance.
In my defense, societal metabolism processes communities into change – how they absorb new ideas, integrate them into the existing framework, and discard what no longer serves.
This is where the space between two worlds comes into existence. Just as pigeons navigate the city, we humans navigate humanity, constantly in fine temperament for balance and coherence.
Sensory Consciousness and the Unseen
To weave this concept to sensory consciousness, we must expand our awareness beyond the immediate and the obvious. Cities in all its chaos and mess, the sensory systems can get overwhelmed with stimuli, from the fast actions of machines and humans, to the flashing lights and drowning sounds. Have you seen a pigeon recently? They move silently within this sensory overload, blending into the background. They are there, but not there, like a ghost in the shell that we rarely examine. To see a pigeon is to engage with the act of seeing differently, of heightening one’s sensory consciousness whilst understanding what it means to be thrown and discarded.
In Being and Time, Martin Heidegger discusses the concept of Dasein, or “being-there.” For Heidegger, true existence is an act of being present, of acknowledging the world as it is without seeking to impose meaning upon it. Pigeons exist in a state of Dasein, inhabiting their space without needing to be noticed or understood. They are content to be part of the city, silently interacting with it in a way that humans rarely do. Observing pigeons through this lens invites us to reconsider our relationship with the world, to see ourselves not as separate but as interconnected with all things, even those we overlook.
Conclusion: Embracing a Philosophy of Sensory Consciousness
In the end, have you seen a pigeon recently? They may be overshadowed, existing in quiet observation. However pigeons remind us of the importance of sensory consciousness. That we should be encouraged and attuned to the world, and to notice its beauty amidst its flaws.
To remind us that sensory consciousness is more than the 5 human senses – it is about perception, with intention and openness. Bring forth a connection rooted in curiosity, acknowledging co-existence, and respect. Even amongst it all. Make the chaos count, make the mess matter (@sleepingatlast).
from Object.
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