People will do what they have always done for as long as they can, until they can’t. And then they won’t.
But does it have to be that way? And is it collective suicide to follow that line of thinking? What has caused us to create a culture that’s doomed to self-destruct? What keeps us from waking up and what can we do about it?
It’s now quite obvious that our reality has changed. If climate disruption and the contamination of our air, water, land and seas won’t convince us, what will?
If we are willing to awaken from the dream of The Industrial Growth Society, we can start by uncovering the unconscious beliefs and assumptions that fuel our choices and actions. For example:
- Bigger is better
- Endless growth is good
- Endless growth is possible
- We have unlimited resources
- GDP is the measure of happiness
- Material things are very important
- Survival requires wealth
- Wealth=money
- More of the same will solve the problem
- We are separate from nature
All of these assumptions and beliefs revolve around money. When money and the satisfaction of our every material desire become our most important concerns, the needs of the environment and our fellow humans are ignored. And those material desires are fanned to a raging fire by ubiquitous advertising that keeps us asleep and dreaming.
It’s way past time to wake up from this nightmare dream and think about how we’re affecting all life on Earth. Our lifestyle choices are causing climate disruption, pollution and the wholesale loss of species. Let’s redefine the good life as something that is more meaningful, less materialistic and less reliant on growth.
Our true needs can be met without destroying our world. There is a new American Dream waiting for us and people like Charles Eisenstein, Joanna Macy and the folks at Transition US are showing us the way.
Oh, and while we’re looking at assumptions, here’s another one that we need to let go of—“I’m just one person. I can’t change the world.”
I invite you to leave a comment.
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