As I am laying on my "chaise longue" looking at the waves and out to the horizon I cannot help but wondering if all that the ability to think gave humans is the sense of entitlement and superiority over everything else.
We named our planet Earth when 71% of its surface is water. Granted at the dawn of civilization that fact was unknown. We also named the other planets before we knew they were deprived of life, not thinking for one second that maybe people lived there and already had a name for their home. We did that here countless times as well, renaming places regardless of what the native peolpes had already named them.
We sectioned the ocean and gave each part a separate name as we ventured farther away in the unknown. Clearly there is only one ocean on Earth. The Seas, even the closed ones, are also (or were at some point in time) part of this same ocean.
Would it be too confusing to rename things after we uncover some fact that changes our perception? Too much work changing all the books? Or is it just not in our nature to admit that we were wrong?
I guess if we had evolved into ocean creatures we would have named our planet Water or Ocean. Still everyday astronomers discover new spatial objects in the universe and name them. I know that recognition is only possible because of names allowing us to list, archive, and sort discoveries. The definitive and unquestionable aspect of it, is what annoys me.
Imagine people from the "red planet" landing on Earth tomorrow. The welcome committee's speech would probably start with: "People from Mars, welcome to Earth". The "Martians" surprised would say: "The name of our planet is not Mars". The delegate from Earth would answer: "Oh yes it is. WE named it".
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