History Main / InHarmonyWithNature

* In a subversion CSLewis in ''Reflections on the Psalms'' claims that a purely aesthetic appreciation of nature does not come to most peoples until they are capable of making artificial environments(I.E. cities) and points out that in many works of ancient poetry when people say that nature is beautiful they mean it is useful. That is under this theory a hunter-gatherer would think an antelope beautiful because it is tasty but a leopard definitely ugly because it might think ''him'' tasty; but city folk think leopards beautiful because they live far away from leopards. Of course in that sense primeval man ''is'' In Harmony With Nature; because [[CrapsackWorld he is acting just like it.]]

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* In the Camping Episode of ''TheSimpsons'', Marge and Lisa were separated from the rest of their family. With nothing, they managed to have a nice fire and a comfortable place to rest. Marge was even seen sweeping out the hut and arranging the living animals in a row. Homer and Bart, on the other hand, were not so lucky...

* The fairies in ''{{Ferngully}}'' are like this, as guardians of a rainforest.

* In the StarTrekNovelVerse, the Kazarites and Irriol are two races like this. The Kazarites have telepathic and empathic links with animals, and accordingly have a culture greatly concerned with preserving natural eco-systems. This empathy extends to animals beyond Kazar itself, allowing them to aid in the restoration of other, more damaged planets. In Literature/StarTrekMereAnarchy, their "ecopaths" play a role in the terraforming of central planet Mestiko, which has been heavily damaged by a pulsar. The Irriol are even more In Harmony With Nature, to the point where they are willing to sacrifice their lives to predators if they sense that the ecosphere is better served by their deaths.

* In VideoGame/{{Battleborn}}, this is the main deal with the Eldrid. They believe in the natural order of the universe and prefer harmonizing with the universal laws rather than altering them as seen with their abilities and technology. For this, they've been called space hippies by other factions. Although they may come off as such, that doesn't mean they're pacifists who'll just hug it out when pushed. They'll fight to preserve the natural order of the universe against those who would disrupt it.

In more [[GreenAesop]] {{Anvilicious}} works, this overlaps with FriendToAllLivingThings. Usually, however, living In Harmony With Nature requires you to kill the occasional creature, and even if you never take more than you need and have immense respect for the little critters you're roasting over the campfire, this does tends to deter them from gathering around you adoringly while you sing.

In more {{GreenAesop}} {{Anvilicious}} works, this overlaps with FriendToAllLivingThings. Usually, however, living In Harmony With Nature requires you to kill the occasional creature, and even if you never take more than you need and have immense respect for the little critters you're roasting over the campfire, this does tends to deter them from gathering around you adoringly while you sing.

In more {{GreenAseop}} {{Anvilicious}} works, this overlaps with FriendToAllLivingThings. Usually, however, living In Harmony With Nature requires you to kill the occasional creature, and even if you never take more than you need and have immense respect for the little critters you're roasting over the campfire, this does tends to deter them from gathering around you adoringly while you sing.

In more {{Anvilicious}} works, this overlaps with FriendToAllLivingThings. Usually, however, living In Harmony With Nature requires you to kill the occasional creature, and even if you never take more than you need and have immense respect for the little critters you're roasting over the campfire, this does tends to deter them from gathering around you adoringly while you sing.

* This trope is parodied with various characters in ColdComfortFarm, notably Elfine.

* Definitely the Wolfriders and Sun Folk in ''ElfQuest'', but subverted by the Gliders, who've cut themselves off from nature. As for the Go-Backs, they're too busy fighting the trolls to care one way or another.

See also HarmonyVersusDiscipline, this trope being Harmony.

* The subject of "In Perfect Harmony" by WithinTemptation, natch.

* ''[[{{The Life And Times Of Grizzly Adams}} Grizzly Adams]]'' was like this.

* Druids in ''DungeonsAndDragons'', their spells tend to be split between clerical 'holy' spells and spells that affect and draw on nature. Some can also can shape-shift to battle.

* This trope is almost the entire point of {{Disney}}'s ''{{Pocahontas}}'', although it's not really historically accurate (see below under '''RealLife''')

In more {{Anvilicious}} works, this overlaps with FriendToAllLivingThings. Usually, however, living InHarmonyWithNature requires you to kill the occasional creature, and even if you never take more than you need and have immense respect for the little critters you're roasting over the campfire, this does tends to deter them from gathering around you adoringly while you sing.

When confined to cities, characters who are InHarmonyWithNature will often become [[CountryMouse distressed]] and wonder how the other characters can bear to live in such choking sterile surroundings. Characters RaisedByWolves will almost inevitably be like this, as will the MagicalNativeAmerican and the NobleSavage. Often a characteristic of a MarySuetopia.

* ''LordOfTheRings''. Partly by virtue of the quasi-medieval setting, many of the societies and individuals included are depicted InHarmonyWithNature in one way or another:

* The elves in ''Literature/InheritanceCycle'' are even more InHarmonyWithNature than even Tolkien's elves, to the point that they are a bunch of pompous [[{{Veganopia}} vegans]] who use magic to bend nature to their will.

* In ''Adiamante'', a science fiction novel by L. E. Modesitt, Jr., the future people of Earth are InHarmonyWithNature because they '''have''' to be. The environmental damage of the past has so damaged the planet that even the most "minor" disruptions would have big consequences.
* In the StarTrekNovelVerse, the Kazarites and Irriol are two races like this. The Kazarites have telepathic and empathic links with animals, and accordingly have a culture greatly concerned with preserving natural eco-systems. This empathy extends to animals beyond Kazar itself, allowing them to aid in the restoration of other, more damaged planets. In Literature/StarTrekMereAnarchy, their "ecopaths" play a role in the terraforming of central planet Mestiko, which has been heavily damaged by a pulsar. The Irriol are even more InHarmonyWithNature, to the point where they are willing to sacrifice their lives to predators if they sense that the ecosphere is better served by their deaths.

** Magrat seems to ''expect'' witches to embody this trope, even though she's seen enough of them to know they're more farm-oriented than wilderness-oriented. Witches ''were'' generally depicted as more InHarmonyWithNature than bookish wizards, at least until ''Discworld/IShallWearMidnight'' pointed out that urban witches are entirely possible.

* In a subversion CSLewis in ''Reflections on the Psalms'' claims that a purely aesthetic appreciation of nature does not come to most peoples until they are capable of making artificial environments(I.E. cities) and points out that in many works of ancient poetry when people say that nature is beautiful they mean it is useful. That is under this theory a hunter-gatherer would think an antelope beautiful because it is tasty but a leopard definitely ugly because it might think ''him'' tasty; but city folk think leopards beautiful because they live far away from leopards. Of course in that sense primeval man ''is'' InHarmonyWithNature; because [[CrapsackWorld he is acting just like it.]]

* In fact, the vast majority of LMMontgomery heroines possess this trope. In ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables'', Anne asserts that she could never be happy someplace that didn't have trees. ''Literature/JaneOfLanternHill'' blossoms when she moves out to the countryside, is a great gardener, and even before then, had an affinity for the moon. Marigold (from ''Magic for Marigold'') loves nothing better than to roam the hills and shore of Prince Edward Island.

* ''Grizzly Adams'' was like this.

* The ideal is OlderThanRadio. In the eighteenth century, Creator/JeanJacquesRousseau spearheaded the back-to-nature fad, which was part of the overall {{Romanticism}} movement. UsefulNotes/MarieAntoinette was a big fan and had a hamlet built where she could fulfill her fantasy of living the "natural life". There, she dressed up in peasant clothes, played shepherdess with her ladies-in-waiting, and lived what she idealistically (and naively) viewed as the simple, fairy-tale life of the common folk. The starving actual peasants of France weren't amused and viewed it as a mockery of their plight.

* OlderThanRadio: In the eighteenth century, Creator/JeanJacquesRousseau spearheaded the back-to-nature fad, which was part of the overall {{Romanticism}} movement. UsefulNotes/MarieAntoinette was a big fan and had a hamlet built where she could fulfill her fantasy of living the "natural life". There, she dressed up in peasant clothes, played shepherdess with her ladies-in-waiting, and lived what she idealistically (and naively) viewed as the simple, fairy-tale life of the common folk. The starving actual peasants of France weren't amused and viewed it as a mockery of their plight.

* Druids in ''DungeonsAndDragons''.

* In ''HowILiveNow'', nine-year-old Piper is like this.

* In the StarTrekNovelVerse, the Kazarites and Irriol are two races like this. The Kazarites have telepathic and empathic links with animals, and accordingly have a culture greatly concerned with preserving natural eco-systems. This empathy extends to animals beyond Kazar itself, allowing them to aid in the restoration of other, more damaged planets. In StarTrekMereAnarchy, their "ecopaths" play a role in the terraforming of central planet Mestiko, which has been heavily damaged by a pulsar. The Irriol are even more InHarmonyWithNature, to the point where they are willing to sacrifice their lives to predators if they sense that the ecosphere is better served by their deaths.

* The ponies, in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', aren't so much in harmony with nature as crucial to its functioning. They clean up the winter snow, change the seasons and the weather, tend the 'wild' animals, and nurture the plants. One character even speaks of the Everfree Forest as a horrific place because the plants grow on their own and the animals take care of themselves.