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Nothing lasts — but that doesn't mean nothing is important
Kyte says the antler’s worn beam and chewed tines underscore how even common things show decay and change.
- A few days ago, Richard Kyte, director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, discovered a shed whitetail antler half buried in dirt and covered by pine needles.
- The antler's beam remained intact, though rodents had chewed the tines; Kyte links the deer's natural shedding to the "vanity of vanities" described in the book of Ecclesiastes.
- This discovery prompted broader reflections on human impermanence as Kyte referenced philosopher Immanuel Kant, who wrote "two things fill the mind"—the moral law within and the starry heavens.
- These observations align with his professional focus on ethics; Kyte argues that recognizing our fragility helps establish boundaries and prioritize relationships over convenience and accumulation.
- Maintaining perspective helps ground us, the ethicist suggests, by shifting focus from anxiety-inducing pursuits to the present moment, acknowledging that human life is ultimately fleeting.
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15 Articles
The Times of Northwest Indiana+14 Reposted by 14 other sources
Nothing lasts — but that doesn't mean nothing is important
A shed deer antler becomes an unexpected prompt for reflection on mortality, reverence, and the ethical obligations we owe one another while we're here.
·Cherokee County, United States
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Total News Sources15
Leaning Left1Leaning Right1Center13Last UpdatedBias Distribution87% Center
Bias Distribution
- 87% of the sources are Center
87% Center
C 87%
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