Why Can't I Identify It Even with a Field Guide? Thinking About Why We Stumble When Identifying Living Things

2022/03/30

Being able to look at something and know its name influences how a person "sees the world." For example, if you don't know the names of plants, the trees and grass in your field of vision are often processed simply as "scenery" and go unnoticed. Even if you try to observe them closely, it feels difficult to attach information in your mind to something whose name you don't know. By knowing the name, we can extract "individual objects" from the scenery, observe them, and incorporate them into our own perception as "this is what this thing is." While my primary interest lies in living things, I believe that names serve as the gateway to perception somewhat universally, whether for man-made objects or intangible concepts. Whether or not you know a name changes the richness of the world for you.

When it comes to living things, knowing the name—that is, identification—usually involves consulting a "field guide." However, field guides are not like dictionaries where anyone can arrive at the correct answer. Situations often arise where it remains unclear even after looking at the guide. Here, there is a gap between the user of the guide and the creator, who is a professional at distinguishing and recognizing those living things. The reason it is "unclear even after looking" is that the user is unable to successfully share the creator's perception. Until now, this has been dismissed as "the user just needs more training," but I decided to write this book to take the time to think about things like "Why is it unclear?", "Through what process and changes in perception does one become able to understand?", and "What should the user and creator each be mindful of to achieve that?"

My specialty is spider taxonomy, but I have many opportunities to research living things outside my field for hobbies or work. Furthermore, in my profession as a teacher, I have witnessed changes in children's perceptions firsthand. I was able to find hints for the themes of this book in various places, including scenes that seem unrelated to field guides. Although I was writing about field guides, I feel that I was actually confronting my own inner perceptions. It would be the greatest honor as an author if I could share the question in the title with people from various fields.

Why Can't I Identify It Even with a Field Guide? Thinking About Why We Stumble When Identifying Living Things

Tatsumi Suguro

Beret Publishing

184 pages, 2,200 yen (tax included)

*Affiliations, titles, etc., are as of the time of publication.