If you are disgusted and scared of most insects, I couldn't recommend more highly just. Learning more about them. Just about a few guys that exist in your area and are completely harmless parts of the ecosystem. Most insects are just little animals doing their thing.
Your immediate disgust response is likely to be a learned thing. And it's good to be cautious, but when I was really scared of bugs I know it was mostly fear of the unknown that was creating a lot of the bad feelings. There was no reason to hold onto those bad feelings and make my life worse frankly. If you wanna get better about this and appreciate a huge part of the natural world more, you can totally just make that choice, and work on it little by little!
this entire post is something i want to beam into everyone’s brains because it’s so true, and that’s exactly how i got over my fears (and now am obsessed with bugs).
but this also brings up a super important point that people don’t mention a lot.
liking bugs greatly improves your quality of life and i cannot stress this enough. so if not for the environment, and for the buggies themselves - then why not for you?
literally any activity done outside is almost guaranteed to have you encountering bugs. heck, even when you’re not outside you’ll be around them. what a joy it is to go hiking, or to garden, or to sit in the grass - and be in awe of all that is around you. all. of. it.
i’ve genuinely never been as in love with this planet as i am now that i love, and know so much about bugs. it gives you hope, and peace.
a bad day? it’s okay, little buddy in the corner. little guy in a flower. tiny creature on a leaf. funny rascal buzzing around your face.
it eases loneliness for me. i feel like there’s friends everywhere. things that appreciate my simple, easy kindness.
now i can sit at the table under the tree on my campus - the one that hardly no one will sit at (it’s always covered in ants). because i love ants, and i know that when given respect and care that they will gently enjoy me as a big bug jungle gym.
i can sit in my garden and coo at the wasps as by buzz by, i can carefully get close and watch them sniff about in the flowers and clean their gorgeous, intricately built exoskeletons.
i can dig in the soil and scoop up a little burrowing roach and feel so much love in my heart for that tiny, lovely, sweet animal.
i can lay in the grass and be in peace.
it really isn’t about the individual, you shouldn’t help and love and care all for yourself. but at the same time, you can - as a bonus. or maybe an incentive. the world is truly amazing and learning about all it has to offer outside the craze of the human bubble can bring so much peace to you, and your little buggy friends!
