Comments for Growing Good Lives

Comment on Communities as hothouses for regenerative culture – part 1 by Susan Shann

Susan Shann — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 15:21:04 +0000

So much good stuff here, very well articulated. Of particular importance is our need to challenge the assumptions and erroneous /short-sighted understandings and beliefs that arise from our embeddedness in a dualistic (Cartesian) frame which sees us as separate from the living world which sustains our very existence and capacity to meet our needs, and thus gives rise to the common acceptance and non-questioning of an economic system which continues to liquidate that essential living foundation at an ever-expanding rate. Intrinsic here is the conscious evolution from an individualistic and separation-based view to a more systemic one that recognizes the holistic, fundamental interconnections and interactions between environmental, social, and economic systems and crises, seeking integrated and community-based “solutions” (at the local and regional levels) and meaningful actions to address these that move beyond the current paradigm.

Comment on A licence to print money by Zach

Zach — Sun, 25 Aug 2024 19:51:28 +0000

End the federal reserve and give the money back to the people. As long as this continues, fascism will always be lurking in America.

Comment on Would you rather…? by alex herzog

alex herzog — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 10:28:44 +0000

And here we are in 2023… COP 28 starting in one of the major oil producers countries, UAE, besides being autocratic and media controlling.

It is really a desperate situation when people live in a parallel fantasy world with the real one on the verge of collapse. The Earth system has already changed, and a shift in its functioning is expected to occur very soon.

And all the economic system will collapse too.

And all the powerful people and wealthy minority only think on how to keep and gain more more power and money. No matter the ecological destrution and social degradation they cause

Comment on Would you rather…? by Frederique Seidel

Frederique Seidel — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 07:51:53 +0000

Let’s all use our power to accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels (responsible for over 75% of CO2 emissions) and into renewable energies: https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/documents/save-childrens-lives-climate-responsible-banking-survival-guide

Comment on Finding the courage to live by our values by Andrew DeMille

Andrew DeMille — Sun, 05 Nov 2023 19:45:57 +0000

Timely, potent and inspiring human piece. What will it take for us to move beyond profit and GDP at all costs? My hope is illuminate our need, capacity and capital to reduce pollution (starting with our energy system). Im co-founder of Quantum Energy, we’re bringing new data driven insights to clean energy decision makers that optimize for the health of you, me, our children and our planet, for the first time. Kudos on your brilliant work!

Comment on communities as hothouses for regenerative culture – part 3 by Raj

Raj — Sun, 27 Aug 2023 09:58:40 +0000

This is very thought provoking….in many ways, a Jain spiritual way of life.

Comment on Communities as hothouses for regenerative culture – part 4 by Robert MacNeil Christie

Robert MacNeil Christie — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 13:01:09 +0000

Brilliant assessment of the key elements of social change for regeneration of the human spirit and its social engagement. Its clarity and central relevance stopped my in my tracks.
The great difficulty is how to rapidly mobilize people everywhere to stop the disaster capitalism of the Davos Men and related (self-appointed) masters of the universe.
Thank you for the massive inspiration these sections provide.

Comment on Alone in a sea of marshmallows by Mykel G. Larson

Mykel G. Larson — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 11:01:14 +0000

I certainly agree with all of this. And, I am not so much a contrarian, but a realist. That being said, while this is all logical and cogent from a truly humanistic point of view, I have to wonder what it will really take to reign in the beast known as surveillance capitalism because the strategy to promote continuous consumption of this content is similar to hosting Gladiator fights during the Roman Empire: keep them distracted by satiating preferences. Just like video games and gambling, these social media providers intentionally create addiction loops via rates of reinforcement, using color, sound, and flashy animations to command attention so that it is that much harder to “pull away.” Thumos and Epithumia are all messed up in these digital wastelands.

There are also few consequences for bad behavior online, as it provides a framework to behave with impunity. All of these social media providers operate on primary processes (anger, lust, pride), while it is the secondary processes that keep society from collapsing inwards on itself. Just as the frontal lobe is responsible for emotional regulation, these sites effectively put the frontal lobe to sleep so it can be compromised. And for what? Money.

This is why I say preferences matter in the end, and it’s not something that can be regulated or enforced by policy and rule enforcement. It’s pretty obvious if one wants the wrong things from life, life will either be difficult or create externalities so severe via network effects that it is difficult for everyone else with no recourse except to retreat from the world. The latter is what we’re embroiled in collectively as a society.

I can’t say I have any answers that make sense to intervene from on high, honestly. I suppose I am commiserating a bit here and am hoping wisdom will prevail in the end.

Comment on Communities as hothouses for regenerative culture – part 1 by Finding the courage to live by our values – Growing Good Lives

Finding the courage to live by our values – Growing Good Lives — Sun, 15 Jan 2023 22:09:36 +0000

[…] to live greener lifestyles, but find it hard to kick old habits. We seem to suffer from a kind of ‘values schizophrenia’, wondering why, despite our good intentions, we end up making choices that harm ourselves, others […]

Comment on Communities as hothouses for regenerative culture – part 1 by New Economy, New Systems: Radical Responses to our Sustainability Crisis – book – Growing Good Lives

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 06:51:07 +0000

[…] In addition to our chapters we were invited to answer the question ‘What does the new economy mean to you?’ Below is my reply. You can read Chapter 5 in four separate posts starting here. […]