An older environmental education colleague called me up the other day. After initial greetings and pleasantries, he lapsed into a short tirade about the state of the world, and ended with the statement, “when’s this f**king sustainable world you talk about supposed to happen? All of this shit shouldn’t happen in a civilized world.” Another older friend with similar feelings recently told me, “I understand the issues, but don’t understand what I can do. I feel like a grain of sand on the beach. I’m of the mindset that only those with money and power can start change.” Now both these people know me and my work, have PhDs in environmentalism and despite what I write they are still completely disempowered.
Let me answer this first with a quote I have used before from Economist John Ikerd, “Change never comes from the powerful and proud [the hierarchy] – they have too much to lose and too little to gain. Change always comes from the common and humble – we have little to lose and much to gain.” We are the change we need to see. And we need to change our internal mindset (our worldview) to begin doing that. Pretty much what I have been ranting on about for over 8 years in this blog. But let me run with the last part of my first friend’s comment, “All of this shit shouldn’t happen in a civilized world.” I’ve also talked about this civilization idea before – it is fraught with so many presumptions and expectations.
What does civilization mean? No simple question. To many it simple means technology. For instance, were the conquistadores that conquered central and southern America more civilized than the large Inca, Aztec, and Maya empires they encountered simply because they had better technological weaponry? I looked through many definitions of the term ‘civilization’ and they all center around assumptions of technological advancement over other groups of the same time period, societal complexity (societal stratification), living in denser arrangements with complex farming and irrigation systems (e.g., cities), complex systems of communication beyond the spoken language (e.g., writing of some form), cultural advancement beyond survival needs, higher forms of governmental structure requiring some kind of bureaucracy, and often some form of economic system to allow trade across distances. In only one did I see, within the cultural context, that mentioned morality as a part of being civilized. I find this really important, since large scale violence and wars that would allow the violent deaths of tens of thousands, later tens of millions of people, as acceptable as crushing poverty and inequity at all levels within that society – women being little more than chattel at any level within civilized societies throughout known civilized history.
Mahatma Gandhi was once asked by a reporter, “Mr. Gandhi, what do you think of Western civilization?” Gandhi smiled and replied, “I think it would be a good idea.” He was quite critical of how European civilization (British style) was crushing the people in India. On another occasion he said, “I am a poor man, but it takes a lot of money to keep me poor.” His comment of course was directed at how the Indian Raj under British rule kept the native Indians poor, subdued and compliant. Was this an expression of civilization at its finest? After all, Britain was at its peak of empire at that time. I might mention that at this time in Europe, and even the newer USA (without a defined aristocracy), the aristocracy and industrial wealthy hierarchies kept their own common people in crushing poverty as well. It is poignant to point out that most of the ‘uncivilized’ indigenous tribes were much more moral and connected to the natural world.
Philosopher Julian de Medeiros sought to answer the question: “Why does it seem like dumb people are always in power?” I’ll pare the answer down to a basic idea; they are not dumb, they are very smart, and more importantly, they removed morality out of the picture. We need to again ponder philosopher Daniel Quinn’s ‘Beyond Civilization’ if we are to solve our global problems (e.g., see link). Most of the ‘uncivilized’ peoples as we call them, were actually more civilized, because they had spiritual morality as part of their lives. So if humanity is to survive its own stupidity and thrive into a sustainable future, we, the non-hierarchy, need to create this ‘beyond civilizational’ experience.
This is a time for all of us to express our individual sovereignty and then link with others also seeking a better future. How might you start to do this? I’ve tried leading the horse to water metaphor by revealing the truth of the system. Maybe if you begin by metaphorically going to the water yourself, it might make the obvious more so.
Who seems to be thriving while you continue to struggle and endure endless hardships? Question everything those in power tell you and seek to find your own answers and the truth, even when it is uncomfortable – You’ll need to stop using mass media and really search outside your usual information sites if you haven’t already done so.
Do some inner work and ask yourself why you might need to control things. What beliefs are you using that aren’t yours and do not serve your needs? Commit to releasing the need to control others’ choices and accept that everyone should have the freedom to live their life as they see fit, whether or not you agree with or approve of their choices. Doing this should reveal your prejudices and thereby your beliefs and your primary worldview – write it all down to be sure you don’t gloss over and forget them.
Identify your gifts and your dreams and devise a plan for change – not to be monetarily rich but to live a satisfying life where you are happy and peaceful. Pursue what is important to you, not what you have been told is important and acceptable. Do not try to be someone else’s version of you, be authentic – write down a description of what the hero in your own story truly looks like – not a marvel comic hero but a spiritual hero that works to save the world from itself. Decide who you want to be and what you want to do, then do the work to make it your reality.
I am writing from the USA, but I see blogger Richard Lowenthal’s comment applicable to everyone in the developed world affected by globalism, “Many Americans are disconnected from reality and are consumed by fake news and conspiracy theories.” I think both my friends from the first paragraph fit this all too well. The system deliberately disempowers them. I hope and try to empower people, but the inner change must occur individually, usually when the individual finally wakes up from their own nightmare.
We together are the ocean of change. “I am but a single drop in a limitless ocean, but what is an ocean but a multitude of drops?” David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas.
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