In The Lost World of the Kalahari,

In The Lost World of the Kalahari,

In The Lost World of the Kalahari, Laurens van der Post recounts his time among the indigenous people of the Kalahari Desert. One moment left a lasting impression: their reaction upon learning he couldn’t hear the stars.

At first, they laughed, thinking he was teasing them. But when they realized he was serious—that he truly could not hear the stars—their amusement turned to sorrow.

For the Bushmen, this wasn’t a minor curiosity. To them, the inability to hear nature—its subtle songs and silent wisdom—was a tragic condition. It signified a profound disconnection from the living world, a kind of spiritual deafness that stirred their deepest compassion.