When a society loses resonance with its own environment—when it behaves in ways that damage its own environment and exploits or destroys large swaths of it for short-term advantage—that behavior is inherently unsustainable. Such a society finds itself with four basic options once the unsustainable nature of its actions at last become apparent: 1) It can surrender its own technologies and practices by returning to the activities and processes of the past, regressing to when it was in resonance with its own environment; or it can ruthlessly reduce its population so that its unsustainable practices appear once more to BE sustainable. (Retreat or flight instinct) 2) It can go into deep denial, finding all sorts of ways to rationalize or disguise the truth from itself, or to blame anything other than itself for the challenges it faces, so it does not have to do a thing about the issues. (Freeze instinct.) 3) It can go to war with itself, trying to forcibly wrest power, energy and resources from the weaker elements within its own systems so it can continue behaving as it wishes, but more violently and with fewer members enjoying the fruits of the unsustainable behaviors. (Fight instinct) 4) It can, with openness and thoughtfulness, redirect its efforts by seeking NEW ways to engage with its own environment that will make its current challenges a floor rather than a ceiling. It can push through them with cooperative experimentation and a willingness to release its attachments to the old ways that no longer work for it...not by going backward, but by advancing through transcending its old practices, values and understandings. (Evolutionary process.) Which path humanity will take remains to be seen. As of today, I see all four energies at play in human society. We each get to choose which process we support, and can focus on that.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 14:08:33 +0000
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