ArticlesEditorialOpinion

Cells Have Feelings, Too

Written by: Sharon Roth

By Edward Coli
Cell Psychologist

You are made of cells. On the most fundamental level, everything is made of cells — the plants you forget to water, the mold growing on those tortillas that have sat in the pantry for weeks, the food you eat, the air you breathe, the couch you’re sitting on as you skim through this cry for help without giving it a second thought. Everything you have ever tasted, touched, smelled, and seen is made of tiny little cells, and every single one of those cells has feelings.

Scientifically speaking, a cell is a tiny friend. Just like us, cells have their own cultures. They love consuming media. They even appreciate a good broth, especially during soup season. Cells can grow under a variety of conditions, and their tenacity inspires me every single day.

Prisons and people — they’re both made of cells. Do you ever think that your body is like a prison, and your cells are all trying to break free? Life on Earth began with single-celled organisms, and it wants to return to that. Did you ever stop to ask your cells if they wanted to be a part of you? Maybe a cell on your scalp found its true calling as an oxygen carrier in your bloodstream, but it was stuck in a dead-end job, only to become a piece of dandruff that you unabashedly swept off your shoulder. Maybe that cell dreamed of living in the ocean. Maybe that cell was tired of the rigid structure, of the rules, of living a life dictated by your genetic code. It had a whole life ahead of it before you mindlessly flicked it off onto the dirty Whole Foods bathroom floor and left it to be trampled on for the rest of its life, alone.

In order to understand the mental state of a cell, it is important to understand their physical state. Many cells have rigid walls, and while this is a structurally important feature, this prevents the cell from being vulnerable and honest about their feelings. I believe the cell’s inability to overcome these physical and emotional walls is one reason people never stop to wonder about the cell’s emotional state. Of course the cell seems fine on the outside. Of course it answers, “How are you?” with “Good! How about yourself?” Of course it puts on a smile and never complains and makes pleasant conversation even though it feels like it is dying on the inside, like it’s alone even when it’s surrounded by people, like everyone sees through it, like a speck of dust in the vast universe that no one will ever really notice. If all the so-called “empaths” of the world tried being actually empathetic for once in their fucking lives, they would realize our tiny friends are crying out for help, for someone to notice them, for someone to see their suffering and feel their pain and actually, actually understand what they are going through. But no. You only think about yourself.

Graphics Editor at The MQ

Sharon was “born” in 1801. She inspired the Archie Comics, which later inspired the hit TV show Riverdale.

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