Hi, I recently commented on environmental sustainability and referred to the pace of life in the ‘modern’ world.
I said that I’d let you know what is responsible for this pace of life. A pace of life that is often felt to be quickening and increasingly ’stressful’. A pace of life that brings to mind that old phrase:
Stop the world I want to get off.
Humans are responsible for the pace of life, and the increasing pace of life. It is the responsibility and contribution of no-one and nothing bar yourselves. And it is humans that maintain and feed that pace of life.
You could say that the ‘pace of life’ is an emergent property of the human system.
So if humans are responsible for it why don’t we slow it down to something more conducive to a good, fulfilling and less stressful life:
- Where you can relax and not feel pressured to work all the hours in the week?
- Where you can be more connected with and feel positive about your community, and the wonders of the natural world?
- Where you feel more fulfilled with less materialism, without drugs without reliance on technology?
- Where
Well, then we’d be less materialistic, less vulnerable to be sold to, less caught up in the cycle of reliance on escapes.
The inference is that it’s like a race, you either keep up or lose. Yet you know that is not true. You can choose not to race and be successful in different ways. The more people who actively step out of the race, the more likely it will come to an end. Yet those who benefit from you being in the race will endeavour to persuade you that you must stay in it, they will endeavour to put in place mechanisms that keep you in the race.
Yes, I’ve taken a grand stage to discuss a pattern that occurs commonly. It is about people feeling that their lifestyle is the best and taking whatever steps to ensure its continuance, regardless of whether it is good, or not, for others. For many of those that take such steps they fervently believe that the lifestyle they lead, or advocate, is best for others. For some of them they do not care for others they deem ‘below them, and are more concerned for the continuance of a lifestyle they feel they deserve, and, were they to know it, a lifestyle that has come to define them.
So, the pace of life may not be your choice, yet you are, in all probability, making choices that reinforce the current, and increasing, pace of life. If stress and ill-health are a consequence of this pace of life…then they are part of your choice. The question is whether you now which to continue to pursue it.
Finn
PS: In this race, you can ease off without stepping out. Yet ease off sufficiently and encourage others to do so. Then it will have more of an impact on your life [another beautiful little pattern about socialised creatures - including humans, including you!]
Tags: Change, Culture, Group behaviour, Health, Intent, Patterns, Responsibility, Stress, Values