Elizabeth
Smiling at the dog, she gave him a warm smile and another scratch behind the ears. "I would never imply otherwise." Mainly because canines were one of the more intelligent species, but also because they often had more of a tendency to interact with humans, making it easier to observe their loyalty and depth of reasoning.
Iskra's vehement rejection of her apology softened the embarrassment, her passion shining through again in the lean of her body. She still raised her hand to caution him, a playful lilt to her words. "Fine, but please interrupt if I'm starting to bore you. I swear I've put some of my books to sleep." Her laughter was soft in its truth, having been told by her parents that she had a tendency to overexplain to the point of exhaustion. She'd certainly put them to sleep plenty of times.
However, with Iskra's encouragement, she let out a gentle hum, resuming her train of thought. "Well, humans - just like animals - have a 'hierarchy of needs' that determine what priorities they may possess. In animals, it's hard to see how high it goes, but for humans there are five tiers: physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. If the bottom isn't met, we can't focus on the tier above." Her hands came up, moving through the air like there was an invisible pyramid before their eyes. "For example, someone can't focus on developing a deeper relationship with a friend if they're starving, because their physiological needs aren't being met. Or someone who doesn't have a job can't work on self-reflection or building confidence because they won't see a reason if they can't support themself." She paused, taking a moment to gather her thoughts and recall the whole reason she'd gotten on this particular tangent.
Right. Studying animals.
Lowering her hands to the table, Elizabeth tilted her head, the buzz of alcohol keeping her from apologizing again as she tied it back to the beginning. It helped that her heart swelled with the topic, knowledge and experience rushing forth. "It's similar with animals. A feral cat won't befriend someone because they don't feel safe, their physiological needs aren't yet met; however, once they are, a cat can start to feel secure then they can move on to developing a relationship with humans. That's why studying them can help us better understand ourselves."
It felt like she'd been talking forever, all the flows of ideas twisting in a blur of notes and references. She wondered if Iskra felt the same in the flood of information, a disbelieving laugh breathy between them. "Does that make sense?" Her eyes found his, curious as to whether she'd lost him yet - whether he'd regretted his decision to join her table yet.
Iskra's vehement rejection of her apology softened the embarrassment, her passion shining through again in the lean of her body. She still raised her hand to caution him, a playful lilt to her words. "Fine, but please interrupt if I'm starting to bore you. I swear I've put some of my books to sleep." Her laughter was soft in its truth, having been told by her parents that she had a tendency to overexplain to the point of exhaustion. She'd certainly put them to sleep plenty of times.
However, with Iskra's encouragement, she let out a gentle hum, resuming her train of thought. "Well, humans - just like animals - have a 'hierarchy of needs' that determine what priorities they may possess. In animals, it's hard to see how high it goes, but for humans there are five tiers: physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. If the bottom isn't met, we can't focus on the tier above." Her hands came up, moving through the air like there was an invisible pyramid before their eyes. "For example, someone can't focus on developing a deeper relationship with a friend if they're starving, because their physiological needs aren't being met. Or someone who doesn't have a job can't work on self-reflection or building confidence because they won't see a reason if they can't support themself." She paused, taking a moment to gather her thoughts and recall the whole reason she'd gotten on this particular tangent.
Right. Studying animals.
Lowering her hands to the table, Elizabeth tilted her head, the buzz of alcohol keeping her from apologizing again as she tied it back to the beginning. It helped that her heart swelled with the topic, knowledge and experience rushing forth. "It's similar with animals. A feral cat won't befriend someone because they don't feel safe, their physiological needs aren't yet met; however, once they are, a cat can start to feel secure then they can move on to developing a relationship with humans. That's why studying them can help us better understand ourselves."
It felt like she'd been talking forever, all the flows of ideas twisting in a blur of notes and references. She wondered if Iskra felt the same in the flood of information, a disbelieving laugh breathy between them. "Does that make sense?" Her eyes found his, curious as to whether she'd lost him yet - whether he'd regretted his decision to join her table yet.
Dive into the sea of thought,
and find there pearls beyond price.
and find there pearls beyond price.
