“You are capable of more than you know. Choose a goal that seems right for you and strive to be the best, however hard the path. Aim high. Behave honorably. Prepare to be alone at times, and to endure failure. Persist! The world needs all you can give.” ~ E. O. Wilson
What path must one take to be great? As a boy, Edward O. Wilson became fascinated with the natural world. He started by studying the behaviors of small critters near his home in Alabama but in a freak fishing accident, the fin of a spiny fish scraped his eye and left him with significant visual impairment. The injury disrupted his acuity and depth perception and made tracking small animals difficult. His good eye had excellent near vision so he switched his attention to insects and soon decided he would become an entomologist. Initially he began collecting flies for study but World War II led to a shortage of insect pins. Rather than let this set him back, he aimed high and turned his attention to the lowly ant which he could store in jars. By the age of 13 he had discovered the first recorded colony of fire ants in the United States.
After college at the University of Alabama, he transferred to Harvard for doctoral studies where he was named a Junior Fellow. He traveled the world collecting ants and soon became recognized as the foremost authority on the impressive little insect and its peculiar behaviors. The discovery of the DNA molecule by James Watson and and Francis Crick, however, turned the scientific world’s attention away from Wilson’s natural history and toward molecular biology as a tool to study evolution. Overnight, his life’s work became the butt of scientific humor. James Watson, often considered a bit of an ass in the scientific world, actually compared the study of natural history to stamp collecting. None of this discouraged E. O. Wilson. Instead he aimed high and married microchemistry with natural history to study the ways in which ants use chemicals to communicate; in so doing he elegantly confirmed the presence of pheromones in the natural world.
Eventually, Wilson began sharing the incredible world of ants with the rest of the world. He wrote a number of books, two of which won him Pulitzer prizes for non-fiction. All of this was good but Wilson continued to aim high. He began comparing his vast knowledge of insects with his observations of larger and slightly more complex creatures–humans. In his most controversial work, Sociobiology: The New Synthesis, Wilson angered nearly everyone by suggesting that we humans are much more defined by our genetics than our culture. He suggested we are much less the tabula rasa than we’d all like to admit. It was very difficult for many in the scientific community to allow for the influence of genetics and evolution on the development of behaviors and feelings.
Science continues to investigate these grand claims and while his critics remain there’s no question that E. O. Wilson blazed a path that forever changed the world’s landscape. Few have contributed more to our understanding of behaviors in creatures as small as the ant and as big as, well, us. It seems his path was carved by the strength of his conviction, a willingness to suffer failure, and a readiness to walk it alone. E. O. Wilson throughout his career, no matter how hard the path, behaved honorably and aimed high. With all his contributions, and there are so very many, my favorite is this simple, unassuming map of the path to greatness.
30 Comments
Great writeup and a beautiful photo.
E.O. Wilson is an inspiration in many ways. It’s interesting to hear your perspective on him. I love love love this photo too — the tones are mesmerizing.
Wow, great B&W shot ! Well done !
love the bw tone variations and the composition
Nice shot Chris! Beautiful
looks like infrared, very beautiful image
A magnificent b&w, love the quote too, beautiful post, Christopher.
IR image? Quite thought provoking as we all take our own paths in life.
very interesting about this man. this image is one of my favs from you. it’s dreamy.
Love your framing & processing of this wonderful path and how grand is the metaphor, inviting, to follow our own path like the story you tell & i love the quote, so motivating, thanks for all this & the beauty of it whole, Chris, image & experience of life. Have a great second part of week*
Wonderful BW, great composition shot!
Goo d processing!
also this one is a great photo Chris, in my opinion a photo shooted in not easy condition, but your result is as always really elegant and perfect in your clever style, olso like the b/w presentation, very nice Chris
this is awesome. the tones are awesome!
Lovely image. A great comp and a terrific B&W rendering.
You are setting a standard yourself, with your continued brilliance in photography and writing. I love the dramatic mood of your b & w image, combined with your inspiring story. As for human behavior, beliefs, perspective, etc., I think geography plays a critical role too, as well as genetics. Where in the world you are born and raised goes a long way in determining one’s social values, religious beliefs, etc. You are quite thought provoking Christopher :^)
Really cool shot.
Lovely and inspiring prose Chris – but bettered on this occasion by a magnificent, moody and wonderfully balanced image.
I enjoyed the inspiring story about E. O. Wilson. I admire his resolve and character.
I also admire your work in capturing this photo. The uphill path cutting through the grasses and the tree bent by the constant winds illustrates your writing very well. You can be proud of both elements in your post.
Beautiful shot. Love how the landscape and foliage sweeps off to the right.
Christopher, perfect image building and breathtaking contrasts, well done!
a beautiful photo! excellent tones …. simply amazing
I needed this inspiration today both in your thoughts and information about Wilson as well as this meandering path that leads to what looks like, a lookout. I love the way all the plants lean into the path as if to say, FOLLOW…
I love the infrared style of the image. Another thing on my list of to-dos. I could learn a lot about perseverance from people like E.O. Wilson.
I enjoyed reading what you wrote. A wonderful story to share Chris. You remain an inspiration to all.
A wonderful picture to tie it all up.
Lovely B/W Shoot,,, I love It….
nice surreal effect!
very beautiful, like
Looks like a shot right out of a fantasy story. Nice work!
Stunning image and an inspiring post.
Belle histoire. Beau parallèle. Beau monochrome. Superbe travail, Christopher…