Dictionary MAIN PAGE Text & Grap

Myth - Myths start when incorrect statements go unchallenged. Lack of understanding, yet implying understanding! Myth is used in this book to include misconceptions, misunderstanding, and, mostly, half-truths. Why is truth, so often, controversial, while myth is so acceptable? Myths start with a false premise. Magicians convince you that the hat is empty. They start with a false premise. Practicing foresters convince you the logging will increase forest health – “false premise”. The wound dressing myth will never die. The sad thing, is that the myth, is being taught by people who are supposed to be scientists. More from SHIGO, 1993 page 3. REMEMBER, IT IS NOT HOW MUCH YOU KNOW, BUT HOW MUCH YOU KNOW THAT IS CORRECT THAT MAKES YOU WISE!

Myth 3. NATURE IS BALANCED. Balance means the equalization of opposing forces. Natural systems survive because they are in continuing states of dynamic equilibrium. They vibrate. They adjust to a continuing feedback process for survival. Natural systems are not balanced in the sense of no motion or no change. They are not static.

Myth 4. FORESTS ARE GROUPS OF TREES. Forests are highly ordered connections of many living communities with trees. The connections ensure survival of the trees and their associates.

MYTHS: HOW DO THEY START? MYTHS are usually started and spread by people who are well-meaning and dedicated to causes they may or may not understand. Myths often start from attempts to define reality when information is lacking. Because myths often come from good people and organizations, the attempt to discard a myth is taken often as an insult by some people or organizations.

An example is Myth 5. Many good people and organizations are telling everybody to plant trees, implying that anybody can plant a tree correctly. Sad, but true, incorrect planting, and planting the wrong tree in the wrong place have led to serious tree problems worldwide. Yes, we should plant trees. But, first we need to know the correct way to do it and to get that information out to the people. For more info see SHIGO, 1993.

For a very good book I suggest "100 TREE MYTHS" by SHIGO (The Book)