How do we get over ourselves and take positive action in the world? We are each caught up in ourselves - Our challenges and disappointments. Our toothaches, real and all-consuming, clouding a sunny day. Meanwhile we drive our cars, consume our non-renewables, and real people die around the world and around the block.
Guilt is not the answer – it makes you want to hide, or get wasted, to get away from yet more pain. Complaining gets you nowhere, other than perhaps alone.
We’re a young ‘civilization’ planes, trains and automobiles are only a few generations old. There are geezers alive today who predate them! One human lifetime going from horses to rocketships. And we wonder why tackling climate change is a big challenge.
Our civilization is adolescent, and we still believe ourselves immortal. Fossil fuels are fun, they’re like cigarettes, they’re cool because people tell us they’re bad for us. Guilt doesn’t work, I’m a bad ass muther fucker, people may drown in Indonesia, but here in 514 everything will be just fine.
We all want pleasure, we all want things, collectively we’re slow learners but we get there eventually. That’s not to be complacent, we may well be banging toxins while Rome burns, but any way forward will come from humans.
I want to know with certainty that everything will be alright, that my children won’t suffer in a world we’ve destroyed. And I’m searching for the paths and tools to get there. But we are naked apes, we grow up, smoke, overeat, get sick, and if we’re lucky clean up our acts and live to a ripe old age.
And we naked apes have been making a lot of garbage, now we need to start cleaning up, find ways to live better, without expecting ourselves to really change.
You may wake up one day and walk the path of righteousness, but to walk it everyday there needs to be a few bars, strip clubs and restaurants along the way.
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