Raging Against the Dying Light - A Systems View of Human Futures

Summary

The Cascade Institute modelled over four million scenarios for 2040, and “99.75% of the stable ones represent either the decline or collapse of our social and ecological systems.” Norris argues that reaching the slim ‘Hope attractor’ (0.25% of possibilities) depends on strong democracy, which needs “a critical mass of mature, engaged citizens” – and, for many of us, a shift in worldview. “Most so-called systems change initiatives fail because they don’t address worldview. Dismantle one system and it often respawns in another form.” Worldview is shaped by “our embodied engagement with specific material realities” – “it’s hard to develop certain forms of contemplative awareness while working three jobs to survive.” Norris is wary of anyone trying to “engineer it for others”. Seen from a place of interconnectedness, worldview shift “happens through us rather than by us” – “we don’t have to storm the castle of our conditioning!” Which leaves his closing question: “Which attractor will you give your life to?”

Rationale

Norris gets to a similar place to us: change that ignores what lies beneath doesn’t tend to hold. We also share his wariness of setting out to change other people’s worldviews for them.