Catastrophe Thinking
I am pretty sure my entire life has been lived under the hovering cloud of the apocalypse. Sure there were moments of possibility – the fall of the wall, the election of Obama, the end of apartheid in South Africa. But mostly the global events we hear about focus on the end of civilization as we know it, albeit in small chunks at a time. It is still framed as disaster…. we are losing what we had and aren’t moving into a better world (except in small isolated ways). From AIDS to Bird Flu, from Rwanda genocide to Sudan and Burma, nuclear proliferation, the Gulf Coast disaster 2.0 (and Katrina as 1.0), Haiti (and so many other earthquakes, mud slides, volcanoes, and other weather/geological disasters for humans) – plus economic crisis and climate change, the extinction of so many species, and the war on terror (which just grows fear and terror) all converge – even for those of us who don’t watch the news. There is overpopulation, sex slaves, and child mortality issues as well as deforestation, crumbling infrastructure, and coach potatoes living in suburban nightmares. There are activists working cancer into their bodies with their martyr-like dedication. There are those in sedated near oblivion – zombie-living. There are hedonic wealth-seekers facing doom with greed and opulence. This is the story of crumbling and disintegration. Our globalized post-modern world tumbling through catastrophes.
We tell this story, and we have been telling this story, for my whole life. And the fear-mongering started long before I was born – the the cold war threatening nuclear annihilation for half a century.
I am tired of this story. I am tired of seeing faces worn down with the contraction of fear. I am weary of the negativity and desperation driving people to hate, divide, hoard, and fight. I am sick of finding out my government is justifying killing people in order to obtain more resources (because, I guess, we are in such a state of lack!).
We victimize ourselves, and in that suffering, we victimize others with our trauma.
Enough. Put it down. Don’t believe the hype. Don’t fight for a world you already gave up on.
Look for the flower emerging in the sidewalk – life pressing through without complaint or blame to assert its urge for sunlight. Nature is incredibly resilient and adaptive. Work within the world we have to co-create the world we want. Focus on what is going well and right, and encourage more of it. Breathe and be the serenity prayer.
Do not deny the brutal facts before us, but know that you see those facts through a filter of the story you are telling yourself (and others) about the world. You can transform that story and see those facts in a fresh light – from a different vantage point. Turn on the thrivability light, and recognize that life gives rise to more life. Never before in human history have we known a greater wealth of possibility.
After three days in Philadelphia discussing philanthropy and philanthropic strategies for transformation, I feel deeply convinced and inspired by a model I can see of thrivable philanthropy. Gerard calls it evolutionary philanthropy, and there might be some subtle distinctions. However, let me explain. And then I hope it will be more clear why our stories about our world could shift to transform our experience of it and the world itself.
Let’s call charity the work that we do to address immediate needs of others who can not, for whatever reason, care for themselves. It is as if you are standing on a riverbank, see a baby floating downstream, and you rush out to save the drowning child. Only, there are not enough people pulling drowning babies from the river, and the babies have suffered from being in the river. Our hearts break open. Some savvy volunteer wonders aloud – “who is tossing babies in this river?” And a crew of helpers decide to go upstream to find the cause. And they discover a system out of balance allowing babies to land in the river. They decide to change the system and set up programs to help mothers and advocate for social justice. We call this social change and social justice work. Still, babies are floating down the river. The philanthropist supporting this work starts to wonder – huh, what impact is my giving having? I want babies to stop ending up in the river – this is madness! And the social justice worker says – well, we think we have decreased the number of babies in the river, but this is a complex adaptive system so I can’t name all the causes and effects! I can’t clearly attribute your dollars having saved babies without acknowledging other programs and the dynamic changes in the system in which our town operates, babies are born, the economy shifts, and nature takes her course. We might have even changed our baby counting practices in a way that changed how many babies we can account for, which skewed the numbers giving an artificial bump. But we are not sure.
Then a thinker stands up and says – it is the very culture and beliefs in which we operate that give rise to these systems that aren’t taking care of all these babies. And the philanthropist has to choose now – either fund better metrics to know whether there is an impact… or fund cultural shift. And there are still babies in the river, and everyone’s hearts break open knowing it and seeing it. And they are sad.
Transforming culture takes longer, it is harder to measure, the complex dynamic system of it all makes it next to impossible to attribute agency clearly. And, it is where the greatest possibility for creating a culture that ever more deeply transforms itself, cares for each other and the whole, and enables the world we want.
Change your story.
1Jean Russell
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 11:25
Ranting about story telling and our catastrophe thinking: http://bit.ly/cGKxva #thrivability
2josh
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 11:52
Couldn’t agree more Jean! This perspective of helplessness and negativity is really wearing thin…
Came across a great interview the other day on Shareable.net… this guy Jesse Richards wrote a book called ‘The Secret Peace: Exposing the Positive Trend of World Events’, which offers an incredibly refreshing perspective on our social status at a global level… here’s a link: http://shareable.net/blog/the-speed-of-good-trends-jesse-richards-the-secret-peace-meetup
cheers!
-josh
3Bill Anderson
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 12:05
Jean, thanks for this helpful post, which I do not read as a rant. For me the hardest part is acknowledging my own fear of the consequences of our collective behaviors, and marshaling my hope and enthusiasm for generating a better present and future. We need to help each other out in building sustainable social, political, and economic systems. But first, we need to listen to each other and come to terms with what we all have created. And these catastrophe stories are part of that creation.
-Bill
4jhagel
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 12:06
Stories matter, but need to inspire and motivate for positive action – great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn
5Bruce Waltuck
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 12:28
RT Ranting about story telling and our catastrophe thinking: http://bit.ly/cGKxva #thrivability (via @NurtureGirl)
6Cris Popenoe
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 12:30
RT @jhagel: Stories matter, but need to inspire and motivate for positive action – great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn
7dave booram
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 12:42
Worth a read RT @NurtureGirl: Ranting about story telling and our catastrophe thinking: http://bit.ly/cGKxva #thrivability
8Dale Dougherty
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 13:25
“@jhagel: great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn” Change your story, she concludes. Inspiring idea for Detroit.
9Tim O'Reilly
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 13:31
Right on so many levels…. RT @dalepd “@jhagel: great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn” Change your story, she concludes.
10Sunil Malhotra
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 13:34
RT @timoreilly: rt on so many levels…. RT @dalepd “@jhagel: gr8 post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn” Change yr story, she concludes.
11Code for America
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 13:34
@timoreilly I love that: "Don’t fight for a world you already gave up on." http://bit.ly/cU0ipn from @NurtureGirl
12Johann STAN
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 13:38
RT @timoreilly: Right on so many levels…. RT @dalepd “@jhagel: great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn” … http://bit.ly/9xBSEo
13Michael Jester
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 13:38
good idea! Nurture » Catastrophe Thinking http://bit.ly/cGKxva
14Bob Eddings
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 13:40
RT @timoreilly: Right on so many levels…. RT @dalepd “@jhagel: great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn” Change your story, sh …
15Bob Eddings
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 13:40
RT @timoreilly: Right on so many levels…. RT @dalepd “@jhagel: great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn” Change your story, she concludes.
16Jeris JC Miller
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 13:42
Right on so many levels RT@dalepd @jhagel: great post @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn Change your story, she concludes. /via @timoreilly
17Dorian Roy
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 13:42
RT @NurtureGirl: Ranting about story telling and our catastrophe thinking: http://bit.ly/cGKxva #thrivability
18Matt Secoske
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 13:43
"Don’t fight for a world you already gave up on." Change your Story. Brilliant. http://bit.ly/aW4plG /via @timoreilly
19TiparilloPDX
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 13:44
RT @jhagel: Stories matter, but need to inspire and motivate for positive action – great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn
20EDF Innovation Exchg
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 13:45
Reading: [from dwitzel] Nurture » Catastrophe Thinking http://bit.ly/bVNd5q
21Peter Jarosak
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 13:45
RT @dalepd “@jhagel: great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn” Change your story, she concludes. (via @timoreilly)
220m4r
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 13:50
"change your story" -> http://bit.ly/bmwuh8 (via @NurtureGirl)
23AdWords Consultant
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 13:51
RT @NurtureGirl "Focus on what is going well and right, and encourage more of it." ~ http://bit.ly/cU0ipn
24Mads Klinkby
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 14:01
RT @NurtureGirl Ranting about story telling and our catastrophe thinking: http://bit.ly/cGKxva #thrivability
25nell
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 14:11
Nurture » Catastrophe Thinking http://bit.ly/cGKxva Worth a retweet!!!
26J Chris Anderson
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 14:13
Must read on post on our disaster world by @NurtureGirl change your perspective http://bit.ly/cU0ipn via @timoreilly
27Mark Coleran
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 14:14
Catastrophe Thinking
@NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn”
Change your story, she concludes. (via @timoreilly)
28Cleo Kiernan
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 14:14
Nurture » Catastrophe Thinking: Fearmongering. Stop it.. change your story http://bit.ly/9odF6t #P2 #tcot #tlot #hatriot
29Just Separated
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 14:14
Great article http://j.mp/catastrophethinking My summary: Most things you cannot change so instead concentrate on those which can be changed
30Preston Austin
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 14:35
.@NurtureGirl humorously skewers tedious doom narratives (suggests stories of success
http://bit.ly/cU0ipn /v @timoreilly @dalepd @jhagel
31Billy Shipp
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 14:56
RT @timoreilly: Right on so many levels…. RT @dalepd “@jhagel: great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn” Change your story, sh …
32Billy Shipp
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 14:56
RT @timoreilly: Right on so many levels…. RT @dalepd “@jhagel: great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn” Change your story, she concludes.
33Rasced Oley
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 15:07
RT @timoreilly: Right on so many levels…. RT @dalepd “@jhagel: great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn” Change your story, sh …
34BASloan
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 15:09
RT @timoreilly: Right on so many levels…. RT @dalepd “@jhagel: great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn” Change your story, sh …
35BASloan
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 15:09
RT @timoreilly: Right on so many levels…. RT @dalepd “@jhagel: great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn” Change your story, she concludes.
36trish
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 15:43
Catastrophe? Change your story. *love* this RT @timoreilly: Right on so many levels…. great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn
37Sweden United
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 16:00
Nurture » Catastrophe Thinking http://bit.ly/cGKxva
38Shane Murray
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 16:16
RT @klinkby: RT @NurtureGirl Ranting about story telling and our catastrophe thinking: http://bit.ly/cGKxva #thrivability
39Shane Murray
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 16:16
RT @NurtureGirl: Ranting about story telling and our catastrophe thinking: http://bit.ly/cGKxva #thrivability
40Evelyn Jabri
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 16:24
RT @timoreilly: Right on so many levels…. RT @dalepd “@jhagel: great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn” Change your story, sh …
41Sean O'Reilly
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 18:00
RT @trishlet: Catastrophe? Change your story. *love* this RT @timoreilly: Right on so many levels…. great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn
42Mike Llewellyn
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 19:06
I loved this, it is voices of intelligent optimism like this that spread hope for a better future! We can and we are improving the culture, and one day we will discover that there are no more babies in the river.
43Mike Llewellyn
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 19:11
RT @timoreilly: Right on so many levels…. RT @dalepd “@jhagel: great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn” Change your story, sh …
44WordBoom
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 20:30
Nurture » Catastrophe Thinking http://bit.ly/9nacWn
45Dustin Goerndt
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 20:30
Nurture » Catastrophe Thinking http://bit.ly/9nacWn
46RWOACUS
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 20:30
Nurture » Catastrophe Thinking http://bit.ly/9nacWn
47steve
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 22:35
Excellent stuff Jean!
We have always had a stream of challenges and the easy way out seems to be attempting to motivate people with fear as well as forces who demotivate using pessimism and misinformation. Realistic optimism can be a powerful force. That’s what I look for and try (imperfectly) to impart. I have rarely been unexcited by the possibilities and even if my contributions aren’t efficient, there is always another sunrise to try again with what I have learned.
48Deanna Zandt
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 22:51
Must-read: "Enough. Put it down. Don’t believe the hype. Don’t fight for a world you already gave up on." @nurturegirl http://bit.ly/8XfldY
49gregorylent
wrote on 11 July 2010 at 23:41
here is my story ..
there ARE unchangeable things. including change itself.
and, transformation is the work of nature, being, the transcendent moving force of existence. who is making no mistake at all.
relax. nothing to be achieved, nothing to gain. all is well. everything is as it is for a larger reason than any mind can conceive of.
do what is in front of you to do in the best way that you can do it. it is ALL you can do, and it is enough.
enjoy.
506th Mega
wrote on 12 July 2010 at 0:23
RT @jhagel: Stories matter, but need to inspire and motivate for positive action – great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn
51Mia Judkins
wrote on 12 July 2010 at 2:58
RT @randomdeanna: Must-read: "Enough. Put it down. Don’t believe the hype. Don’t fight for a world you already gave up on." @nurturegirl http://bit.ly/8XfldY
52Tom Maillioux
wrote on 12 July 2010 at 3:21
Glad to see I'm not the only one thinking in this direction these days. http://nurture.biz/2010/07/catastrophe-thinking/ (via @_june)
53LeonorCristinaSantos
wrote on 12 July 2010 at 5:17
RT @timoreilly Right on so many levels…. RT @dalepd “@jhagel: great post by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn” Change your story, she…
54Agnese Zērne
wrote on 12 July 2010 at 6:18
Stāsti ir svarīgi, bet vajag iedvesmot un motivēt pozitīvai darbībai. Lielisks raksts! Catastrophe Thinking http://bit.ly/cGKxva
55Ingus Ostrovskis
wrote on 12 July 2010 at 6:21
RT @ZerneAgnese: Stāsti ir svarīgi, bet vajag iedvesmot un motivēt pozitīvai darbībai. Lielisks raksts! Catastrophe Thinking http://bit.ly/cGKxva
56IndianOrg BTH
wrote on 12 July 2010 at 7:33
RT @SwedenUnited: Nurture » Catastrophe Thinking http://bit.ly/cGKxva
57Mushin
wrote on 12 July 2010 at 9:34
Catastrophe Thinking http://bit.ly/cGKxva
58Mushin
wrote on 12 July 2010 at 10:24
I love it, Jean, I really love it! Thank you for going this way!
59Toufic Absi
wrote on 12 July 2010 at 14:18
"Work within the world we have…. Focus on what is going well and right, and encourage more of it." http://j.mp/aqSRfB /via @timoreilly
60Roger McNamee
wrote on 12 July 2010 at 16:14
According to Moonalice legend, it's time to stop worrying impending catastrophe. http://bit.ly/bjd930 (via @timoreilly)
61Roxali Sarasua
wrote on 12 July 2010 at 16:16
RT @timoreilly: Right on so many levels..RT @dalepd “@jhagel: gr8 by @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn” Change your story, she concludes.
62Eugenio Moliní
wrote on 12 July 2010 at 16:25
RT @rsarasua: cambiar la narrativa catastrófica @NurtureGirl http://bit.ly/cU0ipn”
63Helen Titchen Beeth
wrote on 13 July 2010 at 7:59
"Work within the world we have to co-create the world we want." http://bit.ly/bxLbrk
64Michael Scarmack
wrote on 13 July 2010 at 17:26
by far one of the top five days finding in one’s own short human existence, with connection to liked minds with thoughts like thrivability and restorative environmental design
65Amy Jussel
wrote on 20 July 2010 at 18:31
@CodeforAmerica Goes for #media messaging too! "Don’t fight 4a world U already gave up on." http://bit.ly/cU0ipn v @timoreilly @NurtureGirl
66Paulo Godoy
wrote on 23 July 2010 at 0:47
Nurture » Catastrophe Thinking
http://bit.ly/cGKxva