Half 1
It’s not simple to just accept, however it’s changing into an increasing number of apparent that our nation and our world aren’t doing properly. Some consider the U.S. is falling aside and the people have made such a multitude of the surroundings that we should always name it quits, exit in a blaze of destruction, and go away planet Earth within the fingers of species who’re higher capable of be good companions in the neighborhood of life on Earth. Others consider that human ingenuity and progressive applied sciences will sort things and we’ve a vivid future forward. I’ve a unique imaginative and prescient that was given to me in a sweat lodge in 1993 at a males’s gathering in Indianapolis, Indiana:
We’re all on an enormous ocean liner. It’s the Ship of Civilization. Every thing that we all know and have ever recognized is on the ship. Individuals are born and die. Items and providers are created, wars are fought, and elections are held. Species come into being and face extinction. The Ship steams on and on and there’s no doubt that it’ll proceed on its current course without end.
There are lots of decks on the ship beginning manner down within the boiler room the place the poorest and grimiest toil to maintain the ship going. As you ascend the decks, issues get lighter and simpler. The individuals who run the ship have suites on the very high deck. Their job, as they see it, is to maintain the ship going and maintain these on the decrease decks of their correct locations. Since they’re on the high they’re certain that they should have the very best that the ship has to supply.
Everybody on the decrease decks aspires to stand up to the following deck and hungers to get to the very high. That’s the way in which it’s. That’s the way in which it has at all times been. That’s the way in which it is going to at all times be. Nevertheless, there are a couple of individuals who understand that one thing very unusual is going on. What they arrive to know is that the Ship of Civilization is sinking. At first, like everybody else, they will’t consider it. The Ship has been afloat since time earlier than time. It’s the better of the very best. That it might sink is unthinkable.
Nonetheless, they’re certain the Ship is sinking. They try to warn the individuals, however few consider them. The Ship can’t be sinking and anybody who thinks so should be out of their thoughts. Once they persist in attempting to warn the individuals of what they’re dealing with, these answerable for the Ship silence them and lock them up. The Ship’s media maintain grinding out information tales describing how fantastic the long run shall be and know-how will clear up all our issues.
The Captains of the Ship smile and wave and promise prosperity for all. However water is starting to seep in from under. The upper the water rises, the extra frightened the individuals change into and the extra frantic they scramble to get to the higher decks. Some consider it’s the finish of the world and really welcome the prospect of the destruction of life as we all know it. They consider it’s the success of non secular prophecy. Others change into an increasing number of irritable, offended, and depressed and use alcohol, medicine, and different types of self-medication to flee the ache.
However because the water rises, those that have been issuing the warnings can not be silenced. Increasingly escape confinement and lead the individuals in direction of the lifeboats. Although there are boats sufficient for all, many individuals are reluctant to depart the Ship of Civilization. “Issues could look unhealthy now, however certainly they’ll get higher quickly,” they are saying to one another.
Nonetheless, the Ship is sinking. Many individuals go over the facet to the boats. As they achieve this, they’re puzzled to see lettering on the facet of the ship, T-I-T-A-N-I-C. Once they attain the lifeboats, many are frightened and search for somebody who appears to be like like they know what to do. They’d prefer to trip with these individuals.
Nevertheless, they discover that every individual should get in their very own boat and row away from the Ship in their very own route. In the event that they don’t get away from the Ship as quickly as attainable they are going to be pulled underneath with it. Although every individual should row their very own boat, they have to keep linked to others. As individuals row away from the Ship, they join with one another in a brand new, but historical, community. A brand new lifestyle is created that’s significantly better than the Ship of Civilization which continues to sink.
Right here are some things I’ve thought of through the years that offers me hope for the long run:
- “Civilization” is a misnomer. Its correct title is the “Dominator tradition.”
So long as we purchase the parable that “civilization” is the very best people can aspire to attain, we’re doomed to go down with the ship. In The Chalice & the Blade: Our Historical past Our Future first printed in 1987, internationally acclaimed scholar and futurist, Riane Eisler first launched us to our lengthy, historical heritage as a Partnership Tradition and our newer Dominator Tradition, which has come to be known as “Civilization.” In her current guide, written with peace activist Douglas P. Fry, they provide actual steering for making a world based mostly on partnership.
Historian of religions, Thomas Berry, spoke eloquently to our have to be trustworthy about our current state of affairs.
“We by no means knew sufficient. Nor had been we sufficiently intimate with all our cousins within the nice household of the earth. Nor might we hearken to the varied creatures of the earth, every telling its personal story. The time has now come, nevertheless, once we will pay attention or we’ll die.”
2. There’s a higher world, past civilization.
Once I was given the guide Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn, I acquired a transparent sense of the 2 worlds which can be competing for our consideration: A world the place hierarchy and dominance rule (Quinn calls it the world of the Takers) and a world the place equality and connection rule (Quinn calls it the world of the Leavers). In his many books Quinn provides a transparent distinction in worldviews.
In his guide, Past Civilization: Humanity’s Subsequent Nice Journey, Quinn says,
“I can confidently predict that if the world is saved, it is not going to be as a result of some previous minds got here up with some new packages. Applications by no means cease the issues they’re launched to cease. No program has ever stopped poverty, drug abuse, or crime, and no program ever will cease them. And no program will ever cease us from devastating the world.”
Quinn goes on to cite Buckminster Fuller who stated,
“You by no means change issues by preventing the present actuality. To alter one thing, construct a brand new mannequin that makes the present mannequin out of date.”
3. All Civilizations Come to an Finish, Most Inside Ten Generations (250 years).
In her highly effective and essential guide, Who Do We Select to Be? Going through Actuality, Claiming Management, Restoring Sanity, social scientist Margaret J. Wheatley shares the findings of historian Sir John Glubb.
“Glubb studied 13 empires within the Center East, Asia, and Europe, from Assyria in 859 BCE to trendy Britain in 1950,”
says Wheatley.
“The sample of the decline and fall of those superpowers was startingly clear. It didn’t matter the place they had been or what know-how that they had or how they exercised energy. All of them declined in the identical levels and it at all times took ten generations, about 250 years.”
Wheatley concludes,
“The deceit we’re engaged in is that we expect we’re particular, that we will transcend historical past, alter the seasons, and step off the Arrow of Time. Surrounded by know-how that dazzles us with its capabilities and techno-optimists who confidently promise ever extra wonders, we consider that whilst different civilizations failed, ours is not going to.”
4. Understanding the Actuality of Collapse.
The considered our nation collapsing or humanity changing into one other species that turns into extinct is terrifying to most. One response is to disclaim the fact of our state of affairs, to lose ourselves within the newest escape or dependancy. One other is to falsely consider that some technological repair will magically save us from ourselves.
Once I hear the phrase “collapse,” I can’t assist changing into terrified and desirous to run away from the reality. I image a freeway collapsing and crushing vehicles with individuals inside or the dual towers collapsing ground by ground and killing lots of.
The reality is that even throughout these disasters, not everybody died. Many extra individuals walked out of the dual towers than died inside. When civilizations collapse, it doesn’t imply that everybody dies. When the British empire collapsed, it didn’t imply all Brits misplaced their lives. Some did, certainly, die. Demise is one thing all of us should settle for, however collapse can sign a change.
In describing the fact of collapse, Margaret Wheatley attracts on the work of Joseph Tainter, as properly John Glubb. Tainter’s guide, The Collapse of Complicated Societies, printed in 1987, is acknowledged to be the seminal work in establishing the sample of collapse that’s the destiny of all complicated societies.
“He’s an outstanding and devoted scholar,”
says Wheatley,
“each humble and clear. Over a number of years he studied in depth many alternative societies; as he did so, the sample grew to become so clear that he felt no have to proceed to check others intimately.”
Tainter’s description provides a extra correct, and fewer terrifying, description of the fact we live by way of. Tainter defines “collapse,” as primarily a political phenomenon with penalties in all different spheres equivalent to economics, artwork, and tradition.
“A society has collapsed when it shows a fast, vital lack of a longtime degree of sociopolitical complexity.”
This suits properly with the In her guide, The Watchman’s Rattle: A Radical New Concept of Collapse, Costa examines the rise and fall of a number of civilizations together with Mayan, Khymer, and Roman empires. She discovered that the underlying reason for collapse had not been absolutely understood or addressed. What she found was {that a} societies incapability to take care of complexity was the basis reason for collapse.
As Costa’s mentor, the world-renowned sociobiologist Edward O. Wilson stated within the books foreword:
“The conflict of religions, and civilizations, Costa argues, will not be the reason for our difficulties however a consequence of them. The identical is true of the worldwide water scarcity, local weather change, the decline of carbon-based vitality, our cheerful destruction of the remaining pure surroundings, and all the opposite calamities near or upon us. The first reason for all threatening traits is the complexity of civilization itself, which can’t be understood and managed by the cognitive instruments we’ve up to now chosen to make use of.”
However transformation is inevitable and we’ve a possibility to create a unique solution to reside, one that’s extra sustainable and supportive of life. Our ancestors return tens of millions of years and people have lived sustainably on the planet for a lot of that point. However getting from right here to there is a protracted journey requiring a brand new type of chief, which Margaret Wheatly describes as a “warrior for the human spirit.” I’ll describe her concepts extra absolutely partially 2 of this sequence.
As Wheatly reminds us, “The Warriors come up when the individuals want safety. The human spirit wants safety. Could the Warriors come up.” As I’m studying, getting older and coping with incapacity and loss of life, have some similarities with the transformations happening within the bigger world. It takes the very best of our warrior spirit to satisfy the challenges of life within the 4th quarter of life.
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