Someone very dear to me has been reminding me that nature’s got its ways, and that we, humans better listen. Someone very dear to me is suffering from a weakened heart, as a result of too much exercise and not enough food. She was in the hospital two weeks ago, and got out, barely out of the danger zone. Forgot the doctors’ orders, and started walking, and biking all over town, like before. A visit to the doctor yesterday brought some sobering news. My loved one’s heart is showing signs of weakening again, and a second hospitalization is on the horizon. That, she does not want. The memory of her first stay in the hospital, and how horrendous that felt, is still very fresh. Finally, she is hearing what her heart has been trying to tell her, and she is taking steps to heal. It’s taken that much for her behavior to change.
My point is we can only ignore nature’s callings for so long. Our planet is heating up, sending us distress signals all over the place. Many of us are listening, but not really. It is business as usual. Driving, flying, whenever we feel like it. Firing up new coal plants to power our consumption habits. Building new and bigger homes. Drilling for more oil. Eating daily Happy Meals. Like my loved one, we need an experience akin to her first hospital stay. Something extremely unpleasant, that makes clear, the connection between our old behavior and the inevitability of personal disaster if we do not change.
Of course, this begs the question of, can anything be done to change such a course of events? Can humans be reasoned into a wiser course of action, sooner, and without having to pay the unnecessary costs of their foolishness? Psychology teaches us that the first step is to become conscious of our thoughts and our actions. There needs to be a public discourse around the personal dimension of climate denial. I have spent many posts in this blog, exploring that aspect, using myself as subject for such self-exploration. That is just a start. Other psychologists, journalists, bloggers, meditators, need to jump in and expose further, the various mental blocks of the climate denying mind.
La Marguerite 
You’re truly one of a kind.
I’m thinking of the post where you said we needed “permission” from others, because I might live quite frugal, but what is stopping me from following you? I’m reading this blog for quite some time now, but for me this was a for a big part to get a better sense of the future, the green and conscious part. But I’ve been approaching this issue quite detached. Well not entirely, because deep inside I do feel bad about the opportunities we are wasting and the risks we’re taking, but I haven’t translated that into real action.
In that sense, I’m just like your friend. Ignoring what my heart tells me to do.
A big part of this is that I’m so perfectionistic. I’m working on something really big, and it gets bigger and bigger. Mass psychology is a big part of it. But right now I don’t have a clue when this will result in something what would meet my intellectual standards. I’m approaching this whole thing has an academic problem, as some kind of brain exercise, because I enjoy that.
You’re publicly working on the biggest problem mankind has ever faced, and I’m still refining my theories about how everything will turn out, even if I wouldn’t be there. You’re taking action, but I’m still observing – sometimes commenting, as some kind of diversion from my main work. It doesn’t really make sense.
I do not think my work is worthless, far from it in fact, but the question is what’s more important. Right now, I feel I want to speak out like you, if only to be one other voice.
Maybe it is out of fear of not being heard, that it wouldn’t matter if I would speak up. All I can say that over this brief period that we’ve been in contact with each other, I know that at least you will listen to me. I think that’s enough. If you listen, you can take what you want and share it with others.
I already know I had sometimes the urge to share interesting things that I came across with you. I never had that before. You must have got tired of my emails. But for me, it felt like working in a team, like having a shared purpose.
This is all consistent with my readings on business, leadership and psychology. I mean it must feel good, that’s what the theory says. But the most important thing is that it’s also real, at least for me.
Well it’s getting late here, so I’ll keep it at this for now. I’m gonna try to follow you, to do my part.
Thanks you. You’re wonderful.
yes Marguerite, wonderful for caring, wonderful for sharing.
and in your resolve, such a fine example for us. ns
my many many wishes for wellness and healing.
Marguerite, I hope that the person you mentioned becomes well.
It’s interesting that Nature or Nature’s Creator or both gave us humans many tendencies to help us survive and multiply in many historic/evolutionary situations. We are social beings (and often like to “fit in”), we typically focus on immediate things, we often like our pleasures, and we can think, sometimes. Under many conditions, we just keep on keepin’ on.
But, when facing a large, long-term, somewhat invisible threat (of the kind that sneaks up on us), our all-too-frequent tendencies to focus on fitting in (including into the status quo), on the short term, on our habitual pleasures, and etc. seem to easily overwhelm our ability to think straight. Indeed, if one watches TV these days, even TV that’s supposed to be among the more intelligent TV stuff, it’s rather amazing how limited, fragile, and irrational our thinking often is, at least if what’s covered in the media is any indication.
Sometimes, judging from discussions on TV, it seems to me that we humans are perhaps the dumbest smart species that ever lived. And if we are a dumb smart species, the “dumb” part seems to prevail far too often.
(That said, I suffer from this problem too.)
But: I think that very helpful climate change understanding can be conveyed and can help make a huge difference. (Here, I’m talking about understanding in a broad and personal and motivating sense, not only or merely or “even” the scientific aspects.) I think that the portion or portions of the situation that are not “registering” with, or motivating, various people vary with different people. In other words, there is no single magic-bullet message. With some people, points “X” and “Y” need to occur to them, i.e., they need to register and internalize points “X” and “Y”. With others, “Z” is the key realization. And with others, they are hung up by “A” and “B”. But, the alphabet is not endless. And, each key component of the story CAN be conveyed in simple, human, compelling fashion. In other words, it’s not difficult to construct points “A”, “B”, “C”, and so forth. Nor is it difficult to find ways to convey each point in a way that works. Instead, there are two other parts of the problem that are difficult (but still solvable) in my view: One is just doing it. (Often, people talk about things forever and forget to tackle the central task.) The other is matching up point “A” with the “people who are missing point ‘A’”; matching up point “B” with the “people who are missing ‘B’”; and so forth. In other words, the communicator needs to understand specifically what the particular recipient doesn’t “get”, or specifically where the recipient is getting hung up, or what’s driving the recipient to avoid change, in order to convey just the right point for that particular recipient. You know, match the message to the person who needs that particular message.
It seems to me that much of the dialogue in the media falls short (often miserably) on many of these counts. But, I don’t see any signs that anybody has tackled the problem.
I have specific ideas about how to tackle it (in other words, about “A” and “B” and “C” and etc. and about the overall story-line), but I’m not sure who to convey them to, and how. I’ve fallen a bit behind because of my schedule.
Anyhow, sorry for length. I hope your friend gets better.
Cheers.
Beautiful piece, Madam Marguerite. Best wishes to your friend. And best wishes to us, too. Denial is a powerful force.
Yes, denial . . . sometimes we have to show compassion, and say, they don’t know, and use all the psychological tools at our disposal to work with the deniers.
I hope that she gets better soon now that the message has finally sunk in with her. I hope her behavior hasn’t caused any permanent damage…
Thanks all for your caring comments. My loved one is in good hands and things are looking up. Let us hope same will happen for us all and our climate.
Marguerite,
You draw lessons and inspiration from everything – a true lifetime learner. I’m sorry to hear this latest news. My prayers are with you.
Lynn