I've read this essay several times now, it's so incredibly rich, thank you. I've also shared this in my 'Work That Reconnects' training group, as it's such a powerful unpacking of the psychological numbness and confusion that so many of us are grappling with. I found the unpacking of 'complicity' incredibly helpful, and how this can lead to petty infighting instead of collective action really insightful. "Every plastic straw or long shower become a source of shame" - and shame is an emotion that motivates us to examine our behaviour... and yet even if we were able to live our lives without plastic straws or showers, it's still not going to make a difference... And then, how this cognitive dissonance and powerlessness muddies the water... And prevents us from coming together coherently and addressing the systemic factors at play. This is the kind of critical engagement we need, thank you.
Thank you for this thoughtful and generous response. Your comment about reading the essay multiple times touches me deeply - it's exactly the kind of engaged, reflective reading I hoped to inspire.
I'm particularly moved that you're sharing this with your 'Work That Reconnects' training group. The way you've connected these ideas to your own work in building community resilience shows exactly how theoretical frameworks like risk society can help us make sense of our lived experiences.
Your insight about shame is especially powerful. You've captured something essential about the paradox we face: shame can motivate change, yet when it's misdirected toward individual actions in the face of systemic problems, it can become paralyzing or divisive. You've articulated this tension beautifully.
The fact that you've picked up on how cognitive dissonance and powerlessness can fragment our collective response really resonates with me. It's readers like you, who are actively working to build bridges and create spaces for deeper understanding, who give me hope that we can move beyond individual paralysis toward more effective collective action.
Thank you for engaging so deeply with these ideas and for the important work you're doing in your community. Your response helps me feel less alone in grappling with these complex challenges. Peace, Paul
Love this: "hopelessness itself can be a form of manufactured oppression. Just as we resist narratives that individualize systemic problems, we must also push back against engineered despair. When hopelessness is fabricated and promoted by those who profit from inaction, choosing hope becomes a radical act of resistance and rebellion." Thank you.
You're welcome! Thanks so much for reading. That sentiment was inspired by years of various forms of community activism intermingling with the work of writers like Rebecca Solnit. If you have not read it yet then def check out: Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities
Thank you so much for this thoughtful discussion, Paul. We must zoom out and reframe what we are reading in order to both lessen our anxiety and increase our understanding. This is a helpful lens for looking at the future that calls us to consider more carefully the stories we carry.
Great post. Thank you.
Awww. Thank you! I’m grateful so many folks found this useful ☮️🌎
I've read this essay several times now, it's so incredibly rich, thank you. I've also shared this in my 'Work That Reconnects' training group, as it's such a powerful unpacking of the psychological numbness and confusion that so many of us are grappling with. I found the unpacking of 'complicity' incredibly helpful, and how this can lead to petty infighting instead of collective action really insightful. "Every plastic straw or long shower become a source of shame" - and shame is an emotion that motivates us to examine our behaviour... and yet even if we were able to live our lives without plastic straws or showers, it's still not going to make a difference... And then, how this cognitive dissonance and powerlessness muddies the water... And prevents us from coming together coherently and addressing the systemic factors at play. This is the kind of critical engagement we need, thank you.
Thank you for this thoughtful and generous response. Your comment about reading the essay multiple times touches me deeply - it's exactly the kind of engaged, reflective reading I hoped to inspire.
I'm particularly moved that you're sharing this with your 'Work That Reconnects' training group. The way you've connected these ideas to your own work in building community resilience shows exactly how theoretical frameworks like risk society can help us make sense of our lived experiences.
Your insight about shame is especially powerful. You've captured something essential about the paradox we face: shame can motivate change, yet when it's misdirected toward individual actions in the face of systemic problems, it can become paralyzing or divisive. You've articulated this tension beautifully.
The fact that you've picked up on how cognitive dissonance and powerlessness can fragment our collective response really resonates with me. It's readers like you, who are actively working to build bridges and create spaces for deeper understanding, who give me hope that we can move beyond individual paralysis toward more effective collective action.
Thank you for engaging so deeply with these ideas and for the important work you're doing in your community. Your response helps me feel less alone in grappling with these complex challenges. Peace, Paul
Love this: "hopelessness itself can be a form of manufactured oppression. Just as we resist narratives that individualize systemic problems, we must also push back against engineered despair. When hopelessness is fabricated and promoted by those who profit from inaction, choosing hope becomes a radical act of resistance and rebellion." Thank you.
You're welcome! Thanks so much for reading. That sentiment was inspired by years of various forms of community activism intermingling with the work of writers like Rebecca Solnit. If you have not read it yet then def check out: Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities
Ooh, I love her work and just read two of her other books. I'll check this one out!
Thank you so much for this thoughtful discussion, Paul. We must zoom out and reframe what we are reading in order to both lessen our anxiety and increase our understanding. This is a helpful lens for looking at the future that calls us to consider more carefully the stories we carry.