Why Natural Still Matters in a Man-Made World

 In one word, natural means inherent. Being natural means someone or something is part of you - one's characteristics that cannot be changed. When talking about natural and artificial in terms of food, our bodies, environment, etc., we need to understand that natural means something that exists on its own without human interference. Take, for example, fruits that grow naturally on a tree, the air that we breathe, our skin, our hair and even the way we are. When God created us, He did so in a natural way without adding something to replace any part of us. Artificial, on the other hand, is something made by man, something that can be altered, e.g, processed foods, plastics, cosmetic surgeries, etc. Natural things come as they are, while artificial things come with humans modifying them to last for a certain period of time. **Which one is better, natural or artificial?** I would say natural feels better because that is how life was designed to be, right from the beginning. As it has been, natural things are to function just as they are without any level of modification or alteration. For example, we know that eating fresh vegetables gives the right and healthy nutrients to our bodies than eating junk food and snacks that are processed and packaged for us. I would say artificial is not bad as it sometimes fills in the gap, for instance, medicine, eyeglasses or even renewable energy. What matters is creating a balance between both. **Does natural mean it's always right?** |||| |-|-|-| |||| Not necessarily. This is because we can't say that something that comes naturally is good. Take, for instance, poisonous plants are natural, but they are harmful. Earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis are all natural, but they destroy things, even humans. So natural doesn't always mean it is good, and so artificial solutions like taking medicine to prevent sickness, finding shelter to keep us safe, and vaccines to protect us against diseases are what make the difference. **Can artificial replace natural and work perfectly?** Artificial can imitate natural, but it will not replace it completely. Artificial sweeteners like saccharin, Neotame, that is used in processed foods, can only act like sugar, but they don't give the same body response. Another one is plastic flowers; though they look real, they don't smell, grow, or change with time. So, for me, I feel natural will always have an edge over artificial and will be hard to replace completely. There are instances where artificial things like plastic can last longer in physical form, like those plastics that take years to break, and natural things like leaves, flowers decay and return to the soil, but the beauty part is that they tend to grow again, unlike artificial things. So natural feels more permanent than artificial, which only lingers for a while and cannot regenerate itself. **Should we make use of natural things in our day-to-day activities?** Of course, yes, it is strongly recommended and in fact the way of life. Eating fresh foods, taking a walk in nature, stepping outside to feel the early morning sunlight, and choosing eco-friendly materials keep us healthier and make our environment feel safe. Though artificial cannot be erased as it will always have its place, leaning too much on it is dangerous because if we do, we are gradually losing touch with the simple and healing power of the natural way of living. --- _{*All images are mine*}