Our health and emotional well-being are the cornerstone of everything, in all societies. The planet is facing a pandemic right now which will have an impact on all economies in the world. It becomes immediately clear how dependent nations are on each other’s goods and services. At the same time, it has shown that by means of “slowing down”, we can see blue skies in cities which have been under a haze of pollution in recent years, and one can easily find other comparable examples of how pollution is on the decline.
The poles are melting fast
Mankind has rarely had to stare a thing like this in the face. Closures of various kinds of businesses and schools, and even more so, closures of travel across borders. It has consequently become clear that there is a need for people to support themselves. We are herd animals, hunters and gatherers. At the same time, reports have come out that the poles are melting at the fastest rate ever, six times more melt than at the end of the last century. Yet the news is completely drowned out by discussion of the pandemic.
We are living in an incredibly notable moment in time. Clearly, mankind is one family in a pandemic – the disease does not distinguish between people of different colour, religion, class or status, as the well-known actor Tom Hanks pointed out during his quarantine. The reaction needs to be unified, built on science and coordinated in a way that minimizes the damage.
We sense as never before, how sustainable communities could really operate
It is both beautiful and frightening to see it crystalize so clearly how complicated the connections are between people on this planet. And it also becomes clear who are good leaders.
As herd creatures, we love to be in groups, to travel and experience things together.
As hunters, we content ourselves to “Seizing the opportunity” when it presents itself.
As gatherers we want always to hoard everything in order to be safe, just in case it’s needed.
As a society which is now more closed off, we see now more than ever how a self-sustaining society can actually function – to be self-sufficient in its necessities as much as possible.
Today, the herd animal needs “to experience” – in its own country, in its own city, in its own town – at least for a period of time, and to an increasing degree in the future. To utilize technology and ingenuity. Today, the gatherer needs to think about the herd on a larger scale – “the collecting” needs to suffice for everyone. And the hunter needs to search for new game, in reality and virtual reality.
Evolution in the way we think
The one good thing, and the most important thing, which can come out of this crisis is a revolution. An evolution in the way we think – to open our minds and hearts for new concepts, to place emphasis on empathy and international cooperation.
A holistic approach to health and emotional well-being is the future, and in the whole, a person is part of the planet’s ecosystem. The society’s future evolution of our times must support a smaller environmental footprint for humanity in the long run, for the whole herd and the planet.
