I unfolded from one cell from my mother and one cell from my father. Neither -- religious views aside -- much resembled a person; particluar in physical form or scale or complexity or environmental engagement. There was data compression, so to speak.

I read Lovelock back in the late 80's so my memory may be a bit foggy, but his central point seemed to be against anthropocentrism and the hubris that humans are necessary (and by extension that phenomena like HeLa have some existential or cosmic significance). He may have been wrong and his views may not sit well with everyone, but they are reasonably honest intellectually.