An Allegory

November 21, 2021

Hello,

This is a quick one, I am writing because I am reacting to current events and stuck in a place on frustration and sadness. So today: an allegory.

Often when you present new sustainable (or even just less-harmful) solutions to commercial or corporate interests, or anyone else that is operating within the “mainstream”, there is a burst of excitement and interest and fervor - how quickly can we implement this sexy new idea and fix the problem? - because of everyone’s desire for a magic bullet to undo all the damage we’ve done.

Then comes the price. And the nascent infrastructure. And all of the other sticking points that commercial or mainstream entities get stuck on that keep change from happening, and this is because above all, moreso than creating change, commercial and mainstream interests are primarily focused on maintaining status quo and protecting their margins. Margins of power, margins of profit - margins = space = power, and once “change” or “progress” begins to impinge on that space, that’s often the end of the path, or the holding pen for the mainstream while the world crumbles around us.

Identifying the problem is not fixing the problem. Recognizing or naming systems of oppression, harm, wrongdoing is not the same as fixing what’s doing harm.

We are still very much operating as an intention-based society, meaning we believe that what we believe matters most is the intention behind our thoughts and actions, and not the actual results of those thoughts and actions. By extension, if we believe that our intention matters more than an outcome, we are also communicating that we believe our intention naturally matters because of who we are.

I think many people still believe that just feeling a way about a system of harm matters, and that their feeling will somehow affect or alter the actions of that system that continues to harm in the meantime. And many people are deeply, deeply disappointed that just because they have developed awareness about something, or formed a moral position on it, that it does not change to account for their feelings.

If we don’t change these systems, they will kill us, because that’s what they are designed to do. On one path, we can die aware of the problem, waiting in vain for the system to break under the weight of our intentions, and on the other path, we can take the steps beyond awareness and create real change... which is going to hurt! A lot! It means losing some of the comforts and conveniences that we enjoy, because those comforts and conveniences do harm to others.

And absolutely no one is truly safe from the harm of these systems. Not even you.

Take care of each other. Again, this is an allegory.