I love beautiful yet dangerous animals. The picture above is a violin mantis, a perfectly engineered little death machine. Look at it, its alien appearance, its sleek and highly functional form. And of course, it's formidable arms, perfectly designed for one purpose. A gorgeous animal. Mantis's in general are some of the most sublimely beautiful creatures on the planet (and certainly a personal favorite). It's easy to overlook the brutality of a mantis due to it's elegant form and interesting behavior. A tarantula, shark or cobra on the other hand isn't quite as "pretty" and as a result they are often treated as a villain or worse. As human beings it's easy to anthropomorphize animals and assign them motives, personalities, or labels like "good" or "bad". I catch myself doing this quite often but I try to resist it. Who knows what thoughts go through the mind of a cobra or shark? What is that regal mantis pondering as it grooms itself? I'd like to know. Whatever they are thinking I'm sure it's so alien to a humans thoughts as to be unrecognizable. Such animals are beyond any emotion or label we assign them. They aren't "good" or "bad", they are not "ugly" or "pretty". They simply are.
When I encounter a predator like this I try to view it without judgement. Observe it without fear or labels and appreciate it for what it is. A fierce and wild creature. Murderous yes, but also innocent. Beyond good and evil; a truly beautiful monster.
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