The Denial Process

This Article was written by Varya Bedi, Year 12

I love nature. I've never figured out why and always chalked it up to "it just speaks to me", but I think I've figured out why I love it so much.

Have you ever heard of The Denial Process? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as a defence mechanism in which confrontation with a personal problem or with reality is avoided by denying the existence of the said problem or reality. In other words, it's when you hear about a lot of the bad stuff happening in the world (for example, the misuse of the phrase ‘climate change’, as that happens naturally anyway) and become desensitised because of all the overexposure. A striking example of the denial process in action is global warming, but I'm not here to talk about that.

As the eco ambassador of KCD, it is my job to make our school as sustainable, green and eco-friendly as possible. However, I can't do that unless our students and staff aren't interested in the first place. If you're one of those people who sees something to do with the urgency of global warming and genuinely can't bring yourself to make a small step towards it, I can't blame you for it. The Denial Process is a psychological, unconscious process, so in reality, you're just another victim of global warming.

I mentioned loving nature and, fun fact, if I was a character in Avatar: The Last Airbender, I would totally be an earthbender. My favourite colour is green, and trees just make me so happy, and I had no idea why up until now as I'm writing this. So, I'll let you in on a secret: don't bother about what you see on the news. Seriously, just forget it. I never watch the news and I'm doing great! The key to not being in denial is simply not caring. Growing up, I spent so much time outside and in nature, feeling the sunlight soaking up in my pores and the blades of grass tickling my toes. I think the motivation to do good in the world stems from appreciation and not a sense of duty or purpose, and that is why I'll be writing articles with positive news and fun things to do outside. So if you have any suggestions, I'm all ears!

That's all for now! So "go outside and touch some grass", as they say.

- Varya