The Sight of Smell

• Artist: Mcfeegle
• Description: This is a short scene I wrote, probably from the point of view of my werwolf character Joseph, although it's not a part of any larger story. It's not even really a scene, it's more just random philosophical babble, but I had fun writing it.
• Date: 01/02/2009
• Tags: sight smell werewolf fantasy philosophy

Humans often try to imagine what the world looks like to a werewolf. They know that werewolves have bad vision, but it doesn't matter because they see mostly with their nose.

See mostly with their nose. In this choice of words lies the problem.

Humans rely mostly on sight to interact with the world. When they understand something they say, "I see." When they imagine something they "visualize" it.

So, when they think about a werewolf's sense of smell, they imagine each smell as a haze of color, trailing around wherever that smell is. They imagine a werewolf's world as a kaleidoscope of smells.

This is completely false.

It's like trying to describe hearing as waves of color in the air. Humans often do, with things like radar. But, if they ever stopped to think about it, they'd realize the notion is absurd.

I'm often asked to describe what it's like to see with my nose.

I don't know, I tell them, what is it like to smell with your eyes?

Comments

[Independent Renegade]

I love this thought process. It reminds me a bit of myself, as my sense of smell and hearing is what I depend on most of the time, as I am practically blind without my glasses (20/350). I sniff everything, have better hearing than most of my family, and tend to walk around the house with my eyes closed. So, I understand the whole "smell with your eyes" comment. I absolutely adore this.

[Mell_Pacatrix]

Cute and funny!