If there is one thing that I think has kept people tethered and trapped by conditioning, I would say it is the need to conform to social norms that while on the surface sound reasonable, really serve to keep us in a state of constriction and compliance. Most people dream of doing greater things than merely surviving and looking forward to the next opportunity to escape the rat-race, but end up on the economic and social ‘treadmill’ wishing their lives away. The current socio-cultural system is set up to keep us thinking within that system. Since the system is economically framed, we keep thinking that ‘if only we had more money, we would be free to do what we desired.’ When your intentions are framed within that system, you stay stuck in the rut of that system.
When I considered starting this blog back in January 2018, wondering if I would ever have any readers, I strove to highlight the major flaws of the global system and our place within it. My goal was to try and tell story of how we are all trapped by our thinking in a system trying to dominate us in the same way we try to dominate the natural world. I think I must be saying something that resonates with people around the world since I now have more than 27,000 subscribers. For a humble retried college professor who is considered a tad iconoclastic I thank you readers for being willing to consider a different way to thinking for a sustainable future.
My intention is to show the world as it could be, and not how it will be after we have finished with it following along in our current system (a paraphrase of President Johnson after signing the Wildness Act in 1964). I know that whenever I talk with academic colleagues about the need to completely transform the system, I get the usual eye-rolling and poo-pooing of people that seem incapable of seeing the system as the reduction and separation of humanity from its true potential. The problem is that their intentions are framed from a belief that the system is generally fine and just needs ‘tweaking’ with the technology to make it work better. Too many people are like politicians that like simple problems with simple short-term answers so that they do not have to face the demons of ‘real change.’
I attended a global climate change meeting today and what came out was how fixated most people are on the big bad wolf of carbon Dioxide as the problem and solution. I’m sorry, but climate is one hellaciously complex system in which carbon dioxide is but a very minor player. I don’t talk after about climate change because it is one of those ‘holy-cows’ of the environmental movement, in which few people are willing to look at the complexities, especially when the realities do not fit their agendas. Let me say that the global climate is changing.
The data clearly shows that fossil fuel burning has a very minor contribution to it (2-4 %), notwithstanding the intense problems and toxicities of pollution from burning these resources. As usual I have talked about this before (e.g., see links 1 and 2). The current Gadarene global rush to electrify and stop burning fossil fuels is framed in absurdity. Whenever I ask that inconvenient question, “How is the electricity being generated,” I always get renewables as the answer, with no discussion about the energy needed to build the renewables and deal with the waste afterwards. Whether we burn fossil fuels or not, the planet is warming. The crux is how we adapt.
Don’t get me wrong, I love renewables (I have solar panels on my house), but I recognize the severe limitations of such technologies. If we could ever get away from the notion that we can tweak our way to a sustainable future, we might start intentions to changing how we think to actually get there. “Sustainability, ensuring the future of life on Earth, is an infinite game, the endless expression of generosity on behalf of all” Paul Hawken.
Another of our biggest problems is expecting the hierarchy will do it for us. There are many noble platitudes about sustainability as seen in the quote by Helena Gualinga, “The future is in our hands. Let’s come together, raise out voices, and demand the sustainable and just world we deserve.” I agree, we deserve it, but WE have to be the ones with our intentions that make it happen. “The Greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it” Robert Swan. Notice that quotes such as “We cannot solve the climate crisis without addressing the underlying systems of injustice and inequality. Sustainability is about justice for all [life]” Varshini Prakash, still put the emphasis on the hierarchy to somehow solve our problems.
Notice how the following quotes puts the emphasis on us, the individuals, “Sustainability is not an option; it’s a mindset. We must think long-term and make choices that prioritize the health of our planet” Isatou Ceesay. “We have the power to change the narrative. Let’s rewrite the story of our planet and ensure that it’s a tale of resilience, sustainability, and hope” Jamie Margolin. And, “Small actions can create big ripples. Each one of us has the power to make a difference in building a sustainable future” Xiuhtezcatl Martinez. And none of this can be done by tweaking the system. We have to transform it through our different thinking. And that starts with the natural world, “The first rule of sustainability is to align with natural forces, or at least not try to defy them” Paul Hawken.
If we intend it, we are about to embark on a mass movement – localized at it must be – to heal us all and the natural world. “Our true destiny…is a world built from the bottom up by competent citizens living in solid communities, engaged in and by their places” David Orr.
“Intention refers to a determination to act in a particular way or an aim or plan. Synonyms of intention include aim, design, end, goal, intent, objective, object, and purpose. The word intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about” Merriam-Webster. You may surmise that ‘intention’ has been well studied by psychologists in all walks of life. Intentional Change Theory emphasizes ways tochange behaviors, skills, mindsets, aspirations, ways of working or even beliefs.
Like anything else, intending to change requires personal work within yourself and Intentional Change Theory is a five-step process to discover yourself, “What’s your goal? What’s your current state? What’s the gap and you plan to bridge it? How can you experiment to get closer to your goal? And, who can help you?” In short, how do you become a leader (see Richard Boyatzis link for the detailed paper). The five steps: Step 1: Future vision – where do you want to get to? Step 2: What is your current reality suing external feedback on weaknesses and strengths, not opinions? Step 3: Gap and plan – how do you create a bridge from where to are to where you intend to be? Step 4: Experiment – don’t expect instant miracles – experiment with doing new things and thinking, behaving and working in new ways – learn through mistakes and failure. Step 5: What is your support system? – Seekadvice, support and feedback from people who all help each other to be their best.
The great healing is about you discovering your ideal self, and in turn helping others do so as well. I have many people come and see me and one thing I often do is have them write a description of their ideal-self – the authentic hero or heroine of their own fantasy. When you have a clear vision of who you think you ought to be, then you can literally make intentions to be that person. Doing it as a group can help you all support those intentions, especially if you have a clear goal of what kind of community you intend to build.
Dreams and wishes are important (see earlier post), however far-fetched they may seem. Write down all your hopes and aspirations, for without them you are merely adrift. Be specific about your ideal-self. Want more empathy, patience, courage, connection, community, etc.… then visualize the person that you’d like to become in detail and write it down. Writing things down gives them more tangibility. This is the antidote to a world that simply wants you to be a compliant victim of circumstances. Along with others, create the new future through intentions. When you truly intend something, you work to make it happen.
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