How not to film a jumping fish

The speaker recalls watching a wildlife documentary where a fish jumped out of the water to catch an insect. However, they later discovered that the scene was not natural but engineered by the filmmakers. This made them realize that they were watching a film about human achievement rather than natural achievement. The speaker discusses the balance between rational understanding (logic) and the meaning and purpose of stories (mythos) in our grasp of life. They argue that both are necessary to understand the world and make a difference. The speaker encourages stepping back from a purely rational approach and considering the connected stories that provide a deeper meaning. These stories can help us see new possibilities and improve our lives and the lives of others. Hello, Jeremy Deeds here and welcome to the Insight Post for the 9th of August 2023, How Not to Film a Jumping Fish. I remember some years ago seeing an amazing sequence from a wildlife documentary of a fish jumping out of the water of an African lake to catch a passing insect. The water's surface erupted as a beautiful and colourful creature leapt out of the water to catch its prey with pinpoint accuracy. Here was nature in the raw, bloody, beautiful and awe-inspiring. It was magical, almost mystical. However, documentary filmmakers had just begun to respond to the demand to know how these films were made by evading the last 10 minutes to show the camera and support team at work. Consequently, I discovered the sequence was not natural but engineered by the filmmakers. It was almost contrived. I was disappointed. I had thought I was seeing a magnificent display of nature in the raw. Instead I found I was watching humanity controlling nature. The magic disappeared as I realised I was watching a film about human achievement, not natural achievement. Rational and Irrational Understanding The rational and irrational form of our understanding of the world, logic or logos, is the foundation of the rational. The irrational revolves around the meaning and purpose of the story, the mythos. Over the centuries, mythos has been relegated to the back seat whilst logos has come to dominate our grasp of life, hence the explanation of how to film a jumping fish at the end of a documentary. Without human intervention, the jumping fish is a story of nature at its most inventive. In a mysterious way it gives hope, joy and reason for living. Here was the story of a creature that had struggled through evolution and developed a unique skill. The fish had a story that gave it meaning and purpose which it passed on to those who saw it. However, the story became one of practical rationality in the hands of the filmmakers. The film producers interfered with an engineered nature to take a perfect shot of a jumping fish, taking the magic and mystique out of the scene. Balance the Rational and the Story A balance of rationality and meaningful stories is necessary to understand the world and make a difference. However, as we have discovered more and more about our world, the known unknowns and the unknown unknowns exert an even greater pressure to answer rational questions about how the world works. As you find a new purpose, consider how you might step back from a purely rational approach and think about the connected stories that provide a deeper meaning than the rational approach can provide. The story behind the knowledge will help you see new ways of feeling, new possibilities and new ways to better your lives and the lives of others.