What is your view of the world? Is a tick worse than a mosquito, and are rats the worst of all? Or do you feel as if the tick and the rat are independent, interconnected parts of the whole and all are inextricably linked?

Do you believe that nature is a living being, or that nature is here to support us? Take the thought-provoking Gaia Quiz and find out:

1.
A. Humans are the most important species on the planet.
B. Every species, human to the amoeba, is equally vital to the Earth.

2.
A. The Earth was created for human benefit and for us to use as we desire.
B. Humans are here as custodians, to ensure that the Earth is healthy for all.

3.
A. Whoever owns a property has the right to use whatever resources it contains.
B. All life depends on the same materials. To use more than we need is immoral.

4.
A. In time, technology and science will find solutions to all our problems.
B. Technolgy can never transcend the natural laws that govern all life.

5.
A. Competition is the natural order of the world.
B. Cooperation is the natural order of the world.

6.
A. I am only one person. What I do is too small to make a real difference in the world.
B. Every individual I equally important to the well-being of the whole.

7.
A. There’s not enough to go around, so I have to get as much as possible for myself and my family.
B. What we have belongs to all, so the way to live well is to share what I have with those who need it.

8.
A. Human life is sacred and important above all else.
B. The balance among all living species is sacred and important above all else.

9.
A. To be truly spiritual, I have to transcend, or rise above, the physical world.
B. All things are part of Spirit, every rock, tree, and person. Spirituality means right living, here and now.

10.
A. I’m independent. I can be happy and healthy even if the rest of the world isn’t.
B. My welfare depends on the well-being of the whole. I can be healthy and happy only when the world is.

What did you find? If you answered more As than Bs, then you think that Nature is somewhere separate from where we live. If you answered more Bs than As, then you believe in the Gaia Hypothesis–that the Earth is a living being.