Do Turtles Think?

I would think, if a turtle could think, he/she (let’s just say she) would have to re-evaluate anew each morning whether or not she wants to take the risk of coming out of her shell. After all, she has a very small view from inside her shell. The perspective is way off, everything looks huge, and that big kid with the stick might be standing just off to her left, waiting to smack her head the minute she sticks her neck out.

Some might accuse me of projecting my thoughts and feelings onto a poor little turtle, since obviously, turtles can’t think. Turtles just do, they stick their necks out and they come out of their shell. There is no measuring of the risk involved, or checking in to see if they are in the mood to come out of their shell on any particular day.

One thing’s for sure: If the turtle wants to get anywhere in life, she has to come out of her shell. So do I.

(v. pro·ject (pr -j kt ) pro·ject·ed, pro·ject·ing, pro·jects v. tr.

1. To thrust outward or forward: project one's jaw in defiance.
   
2. To throw forward; hurl: project an arrow.
   
3. To send out into space; cast: project a light beam.
   
4. To cause (an image) to appear on a surface: projected the slide onto a screen.
   
5. Mathematics. To produce (a projection).
   
6. To direct (one's voice) so as to be heard clearly at a distance.
   
7. Psychology. To externalize and attribute (an emotion or motive, for example) unconsciously to someone or something else in order to avoid anxiety.
   
8. To convey an impression of to an audience or to others: a posture that projects defeat.
   
9. To form a plan or intention for: project a new business enterprise.
   
10. To calculate, estimate, or predict (something in the future), based on present data or trends: projecting next year's expenses.