“So the question of the day is this….” Professor Collins started and I nearly groaned. We had just spent the 1st half of the class in lecture and now the second was beginning. It always began with a question.

“What’s more important: nature or nurture?”

On cue, Adam’s hand shot up as he began to talk, “Both are important. According to research we have now. We have nature, our DNA that influences us. Then there is nurture, how we are raised plus the environment we live in.”

The Professor nodded, “Very good!! So then I’d like to ask: If someone becomes a murderer, was it nature... nurture... or both? Or something else entirely? Beth?”

I was just glad he didn't call me. Beth cleared her throat before answering, “It’s still both, I think.”

“So some are predispositioned to want to kill?”

“Uh, well some have violent tendencies that others don’t have.”

Of course Adam interjected and, to my way of thinking, got waaaay too fired up, “But we’ve all gotten mad to that degree before, but we wouldn’t go out and plan a murder or even commit one at the drop of a hat.”

Beth looked around once before answering, “So they came from a bad environment?

Adam rolled his eyes, “Then what about the proverbial rich boy who was bored and decided to kill? He had everything so that negates that argument.”

“So which is more important in this scenario?” The Professor interjected, “How do we think about this individual? Avi?”

I glanced behind at Avi who, as always, was looking out the window until his name was called. Although he turned and looked at the Professor, I wondered if he was paying attention because he took a moment before answering, “Could be both and neither…”

I heard Adam mutter, “What? That makes no sense!”

Avi smoothly continued,“....But I propose that it’s neither.”

The Professor gave a smile, “Then what would it be?”

“A choice.”

I perked up at this and tuned into the conversation for once hoping for elaboration. I hated to have anyone be on the spot that didn’t want to be, but I had to admit I was intrigued.

Adam turned in his seat to face Avi. Oh, now if Adam was so engaged that he would fully turn to face a person that usually meant the end of that person. “But his choice is based on something.”

Avi didn't blink an eye, nor did he look at Adam. He continued to look straight ahead as he spoke, “And that something could be a variety of things. He could be venting anger for an injustice he felt was done to him; he could have lived surrounded in violence and responded in kind; but then he could also have been bored and wanted to see what it was like to murder someone. Or it could be that he had no reason at all and it was just the choice he made. There are as many reasons as there are individuals and you cannot categorize them in the way you would like to. But all of that pales before the real question that has not been asked…”

“And what is that?” The Professor questioned, leaning forward a little. He looked positively happy at how this discussion was going.

“If this person's choice was right or wrong. It doesn’t matter why he decided to murder, what matters is that he made the wrong choice and it cannot be justified. Anything after that is immaterial.”

“But we want to find out why!” cried Adam, “That's what psychology is about.”

Avi gave a sigh, “It’s very typical that humans want to know ‘why’ to everything and that is not possible. There are many things that you will never understand. So what difference does the ‘why’ make? In this case, one person killed another. It didn’t have to happen. It shouldn’t have happened. Does the ‘why’ do anything for the person that is already dead? The ‘why’ only suggests how to shift the responsibility around.”

“Explain that…” the Professor prompted. By then he looked like he was positively salivating .

“As I said, why the person killed doesn't help the one who is dead. The "why" in this case asks if he should be held responsible for the death of this person. Is it his fault that this person is dead? Instead of just saying that he killed someone and should be punished accordingly, the ‘why’ would question if the killer should even be pushed at all; and if so, how severely.”

Huh; the man was articulate. Upon reflection, I agreed with Avi. I never would have had the courage to say what he said; and I could not have said it so eloquently. He was not ruffled. He just calmly stated his opinion. And he didn’t allow himself to be hurried into speaking. I felt that was a worthy note to learn from.

“As I said, we need to consider all angles.” Adam repeated, “Again, this is what psychology is about.”

It was then that Avi turned his head to look right at Adam," Right and wrong have no angles. They just are what they are: ‘right’ and ‘wrong’.”

“There are shades of grey.”

“Which is nothing more than an excuse to be wishy-washy and absolve one of dealing with the consequences of the choice he has made.”

Avi leaned forward, moved his hands from his lap and folded his them on his desk. “Humans want to think they are smarter than they actually are. They think they can solve the mysteries of the universe. But the reality is that they don’t understand one-tenth of those mysteries. The sooner humans understand that, the better off they will be. The reason humans have so many problems is because of these "shades of grey" attitudes. But I notice one thing: it’s always "shades of grey" as long as they aren’t on the wrong side of the track.”

Adam bristled, “What is that suppose to mean?”

Avi tilted his head, "Tell me then which is higher, humans or nature?”

“Humans, of course.”

For the first time, Avi looked around at the other students. When his eyes landed on me, he paused for a few seconds, “What about the rest of you? What do you think?”

When no one answered the Professor spoke up, “Well, which do you all think is higher? This is also what psychology is about: the debate about what it means to be human.”

“I’d go with humans too at the end of the day.” Most seemed to agree with that answer.

Something compelled me to answer, “I’d say they both should be regarded as equal. But if I'm forced to choose one over the other then I have to say that nature is higher than humans.”

I felt 20 pair of eyes turn to look at me. I glanced at Avi. I thought I saw the corner of this mouth turn up into a little smirk. He leaned back in his seat, his hands slid back into his lap, “Oh?”

For once I followed up without needing to be prompted, “Humans and nature should be equal. But humans have long since gotten out of their place. The two should be like the circle of life.”

Adam snorted, “This is not the Lion King.”

There were snickers. However, when I glanced back at Avi, he still had that little smirk on his face. Strangely emboldened by his reaction, I squared my shouldered and dared to glare at Adam, “Did I break into a rendition of "Circle of Life"?” I retorted, “Because humans think they are the "be all" and "end all" of existence, they refuse to work with nature and instead go against it. This is why nature is technically….”

“Why though?” Adam interrupted, “Why should humans work with nature when they have made great strides in history? Nature hasn’t done anything. If it wasn't for human intelligence we would still be in the Stone Age.”

“Are you so certain nature hasn’t done anything?” Avi broke in, relieving me of having to respond, “Who has kept, and still keeps, humans fed?”

“We plant and grow….”

Avi cut him off, “Do you think if the ground didn't want to birth food that humans could force it to? All of the planting in the world would be useless if nature didn't want to bear fruit.”

My mind went to the wheat supply. They had done everything and nothing was growing. What was that then?

“If the sun didn't shine or the rain didn't fall, your planting would be useless. There are many natural phenomena that haven't occurred in hundreds of years. There are volcanoes that are dormant, ice caps that have not melted. What would happen if they decided to come back to life? And what about the animals? Humans use them for food. But what if they refused to be killed and eaten anymore? What would happen to humans then?”

Avi spoke with an authority that sent a shiver down my spine. The room became quiet. Even the Professor didn’t speak. But I heard something in his words: a dark promise. My breath caught in my throat and my heart pounded in my chest.

I didn’t know then that it was a promise of things that were to come.

But Avi wasn’t finished. His eyes flashed as he gazed around the room, “The Earth has long tolerated the stupidity of humans. What if one day it demands it’s just due? Would you have the nerve to ask it ‘why’? Would you try to engage it in your "shades of grey" argument? And when that happens, would you take sides with the Earth or with uncaring humans? If you would take care of the Earth it would respond in kind. If you won't, then it will abandon you as you have abandoned it.”

The silence stretched out across a very long moment.

Adam Tweedle broke the silence first with a huff, “You are speaking stupidly now. None of that would never happen!”

The class began to chuckle nervously. Of course all of this stuff the new guy was sporting was nonsense. Wasn't it?

I stared at Avi as Professor Collins rapped his desk once, bringing back order.

What he said sounded a lot like something my Grandmother used to say.

She always said we should appreciate the nature that surrounds us. Although most people in city life depend on the grocery store for food instead of a farm or garden, they should still be grateful for nature. After all, the food in the store came from the Earth. And, even as a youngster, it bothered her fiercely to constantly see nature being shoved out of the way in favor of tall buildings and concrete. She declared that by wantonly destroying nature, people are throwing its kindnesses back into its face. And it will not forget. The Earth has memories that are millennia old; that are buried deep with-in itself.

It will not forget its grievances.