Another great piece! I really like the specific examples you give on how we can best prepare ourselves for possible future events on the macro level.
I’m wondering (and I haven’t read all of your posts yet, so forgive me if this is mentioned elsewhere!) what this kind of thinking looks like on the individual level? How can we, as individuals, be forward-thinking without it being catastrophic thinking?
For me, envisioning the worst case scenario of anything leads to intense anxiety - I’ve spent a lot of time practicing not ruminating or catastrophizing, because it can lead me down a pretty dark path. And I know this is not unique to me. So what is the middle-ground for individuals? How can we participate in solutioning and prepare for the future without getting ourselves into a state of overwhelm or panic?
I’m really enjoying the pieces of yours I’ve read so far! Looking forward to reading more!
I haven't covered this elsewhere, and I'm no expert on Stoic practices, but I think for personal applications it's probably best applied to settings that don't have huge consequences to begin with. e.g. What's the worst that can happen if my car breaks down and I'm late to this meeting? What's the worst that can happen if my computer crashes and I have to give my presentation without it? Knowing the worst case scenario helps you prepare for it, but also lowers your anxiety as you realise it's not really the end of the world if it plays out.
Obviously, I'm not a psychologist, but I'd hesitate to start with more weighty matters as that could take you down a slippery slope. I'm similar to you -- I tend to be a natural worrier. Having kids really brought that out in me and it can be crippling at times! So I need the opposite of rumination on such topics.
Anyway, I hope that makes sense. Thanks for reading!
Thanks so much, I appreciate the thoughtful response! I totally agree that becoming a parent has helped me further hone my worrying skills 😂
Apologies, I should have been more clear! I meant specifically with regards to climate change. For example, I can think about the scenario of the ocean filling up with plastic, but I can’t do anything about the grocery stores near me selling bread in bags, hummus in plastic containers, etc. Or I can think about all of the exhaust fumes filling the air, but I can’t personally improve my town’s (almost nonexistent) public transportation and bike lanes. I can advocate for those things, but ultimately the decision to take action on them and the actual work to change them are things that I cannot control or do myself.
So how do I look to the future and its possibilities for disaster without filling myself with anxiety but, at the same time, properly preparing for what may come?
And what are some things that *are* in my control that I can do, other than try to support Green/carbon neutral companies and advocate for policy changes?
Ahhh, no I should have realised that's what you meant, sorry! :)
Hmm, this is tricky as it's something I deal with and so does everyone who sees what's going on. Climate anxiety or eco-anxiety is a whole field nowadays as it's such a common affliction.
Personally, I think doing something proactive is a good way to relieve some of the symptoms. But it's hard when you feel like your small actions are going to be so small. I took to writing this newsletter in the hope that my actions may lead to others actions. Joining groups is particularly useful I think. This serves to fill another important bucket: connections. I read a fantastic book recently by Johann Hari called Lost Connections. It made a pretty clear case that we're so much more disconnected these days and that's one of the major causes of depression and anxiety. Being an engaged member of a community is important and that can be a good way to work together on climate-related issues. It starts with small actions that escalate.
Anyway, this is a useful resource to start with: https://www.colorado.edu/health/blog/climate-anxiety. I think focusing on what you can control is useful advice rather than ruminating on what's not. And the post gives some concrete examples. Certain things are just out of our control, at least without mass action.
I hear you re: public transport. So frustrating to live in a place that's designed for cars.
A roundabout way of saying, umm, I'm not sure but I'm trying to figure it out too. :)
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! I like the idea of community and connection as a way that we can work together to discover what we can control and work together for change - I don't think I've heard that suggestion before. I think there is the possibility that groups could start to feed each other's anxieties and become an echo chamber for doomerism, but I think a well-led community that is focused on optimism and change could be a great resource!
True! You might find this interesting. It's a bit more organised than I mentioned but it's a "network of more than 1,500 civil society organisations in over 130 countries taking collective action for climate justice." http://www.nzcan.org/about#about-us
Negative visualisation is a function of strength and courage, among some other things. A weak and afraid person cannot engage in negative visualisation because of the likely frustration it might cause to him or her. Therefore, it is strength and courage that needs to be cultivated and inspired first.
On top of that, I must say that negative visualisation, especially the way you present it in your article, might have the side effect of focusing too much on adaptation, taking for granted that the future will be bad, instead of prioritising mitigation. But a worse future than the present due to climate change is not an inevitable natural phenomenon.
It can certainly be useful, though. Both in regard to climate change, and in other things in life.
Thanks Lazaros! Agree the balance between mitigation and adaptation is a tricky one. But I think it’s about visualising the worst case to avoid it happening. If we know what is likely coming then we can act to prevent it. Cheers!
Kia ora Jonathan, I was going to try and throw the political spanner into predicting future environment scenarios. As you allude to, the speed and extent of the current reversal of measures protecting Aotearoa's environment have stunned even cynical folk like me. That this is when we need to intensify efforts to make our environment resilient to climate change extremes spits in the face of science. But then I thought through how our leading environmental ministry invested in environmental capacity of non-government communities prior to change of government. That capacity and motivation while unlikely to be refunded in next couple of years has a momentum and sustainability that flip flop governments will struggle to dismantle or make redundant. So if I understand a Stoic philosophy approach, we could add in such a large negative government pressure, prepare for it and model measures to counter it. Might need social science help but preparation for such alternative bad futures makes me hopeful science can counter short-term selfish politics. Thanks for the stretch.
Kia ora Dave. Good to hear from you! I love your thinking here. Yes, this is absolutely one form of embracing the future-focused and resilience-focused thinking I'm alluding to. We're certainly at the mercy of government cycles and NZ is experiencing the depth of that flip-flop right now. It's hard to comprehend just how far that swing is going! But yes, perhaps there are ways to build resilience into the socio-ecological system by empowering communities to a level that can buffer the sorts of governmental swings we're experiencing at the moment. There are lots of ways to build resilience -- e.g. into governance, social systems, ecosystems, infrastructure and so on. Thanks for your interesting discussion!
Another great piece! I really like the specific examples you give on how we can best prepare ourselves for possible future events on the macro level.
I’m wondering (and I haven’t read all of your posts yet, so forgive me if this is mentioned elsewhere!) what this kind of thinking looks like on the individual level? How can we, as individuals, be forward-thinking without it being catastrophic thinking?
For me, envisioning the worst case scenario of anything leads to intense anxiety - I’ve spent a lot of time practicing not ruminating or catastrophizing, because it can lead me down a pretty dark path. And I know this is not unique to me. So what is the middle-ground for individuals? How can we participate in solutioning and prepare for the future without getting ourselves into a state of overwhelm or panic?
I’m really enjoying the pieces of yours I’ve read so far! Looking forward to reading more!
Thanks so much, Carrie!
I haven't covered this elsewhere, and I'm no expert on Stoic practices, but I think for personal applications it's probably best applied to settings that don't have huge consequences to begin with. e.g. What's the worst that can happen if my car breaks down and I'm late to this meeting? What's the worst that can happen if my computer crashes and I have to give my presentation without it? Knowing the worst case scenario helps you prepare for it, but also lowers your anxiety as you realise it's not really the end of the world if it plays out.
Obviously, I'm not a psychologist, but I'd hesitate to start with more weighty matters as that could take you down a slippery slope. I'm similar to you -- I tend to be a natural worrier. Having kids really brought that out in me and it can be crippling at times! So I need the opposite of rumination on such topics.
Anyway, I hope that makes sense. Thanks for reading!
Thanks so much, I appreciate the thoughtful response! I totally agree that becoming a parent has helped me further hone my worrying skills 😂
Apologies, I should have been more clear! I meant specifically with regards to climate change. For example, I can think about the scenario of the ocean filling up with plastic, but I can’t do anything about the grocery stores near me selling bread in bags, hummus in plastic containers, etc. Or I can think about all of the exhaust fumes filling the air, but I can’t personally improve my town’s (almost nonexistent) public transportation and bike lanes. I can advocate for those things, but ultimately the decision to take action on them and the actual work to change them are things that I cannot control or do myself.
So how do I look to the future and its possibilities for disaster without filling myself with anxiety but, at the same time, properly preparing for what may come?
And what are some things that *are* in my control that I can do, other than try to support Green/carbon neutral companies and advocate for policy changes?
Ahhh, no I should have realised that's what you meant, sorry! :)
Hmm, this is tricky as it's something I deal with and so does everyone who sees what's going on. Climate anxiety or eco-anxiety is a whole field nowadays as it's such a common affliction.
Personally, I think doing something proactive is a good way to relieve some of the symptoms. But it's hard when you feel like your small actions are going to be so small. I took to writing this newsletter in the hope that my actions may lead to others actions. Joining groups is particularly useful I think. This serves to fill another important bucket: connections. I read a fantastic book recently by Johann Hari called Lost Connections. It made a pretty clear case that we're so much more disconnected these days and that's one of the major causes of depression and anxiety. Being an engaged member of a community is important and that can be a good way to work together on climate-related issues. It starts with small actions that escalate.
Anyway, this is a useful resource to start with: https://www.colorado.edu/health/blog/climate-anxiety. I think focusing on what you can control is useful advice rather than ruminating on what's not. And the post gives some concrete examples. Certain things are just out of our control, at least without mass action.
I hear you re: public transport. So frustrating to live in a place that's designed for cars.
A roundabout way of saying, umm, I'm not sure but I'm trying to figure it out too. :)
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! I like the idea of community and connection as a way that we can work together to discover what we can control and work together for change - I don't think I've heard that suggestion before. I think there is the possibility that groups could start to feed each other's anxieties and become an echo chamber for doomerism, but I think a well-led community that is focused on optimism and change could be a great resource!
True! You might find this interesting. It's a bit more organised than I mentioned but it's a "network of more than 1,500 civil society organisations in over 130 countries taking collective action for climate justice." http://www.nzcan.org/about#about-us
Awesome, thanks for the resource! I’ll check it out :)
Negative visualisation is a function of strength and courage, among some other things. A weak and afraid person cannot engage in negative visualisation because of the likely frustration it might cause to him or her. Therefore, it is strength and courage that needs to be cultivated and inspired first.
On top of that, I must say that negative visualisation, especially the way you present it in your article, might have the side effect of focusing too much on adaptation, taking for granted that the future will be bad, instead of prioritising mitigation. But a worse future than the present due to climate change is not an inevitable natural phenomenon.
It can certainly be useful, though. Both in regard to climate change, and in other things in life.
Thanks Lazaros! Agree the balance between mitigation and adaptation is a tricky one. But I think it’s about visualising the worst case to avoid it happening. If we know what is likely coming then we can act to prevent it. Cheers!
Kia ora Jonathan, I was going to try and throw the political spanner into predicting future environment scenarios. As you allude to, the speed and extent of the current reversal of measures protecting Aotearoa's environment have stunned even cynical folk like me. That this is when we need to intensify efforts to make our environment resilient to climate change extremes spits in the face of science. But then I thought through how our leading environmental ministry invested in environmental capacity of non-government communities prior to change of government. That capacity and motivation while unlikely to be refunded in next couple of years has a momentum and sustainability that flip flop governments will struggle to dismantle or make redundant. So if I understand a Stoic philosophy approach, we could add in such a large negative government pressure, prepare for it and model measures to counter it. Might need social science help but preparation for such alternative bad futures makes me hopeful science can counter short-term selfish politics. Thanks for the stretch.
Kia ora Dave. Good to hear from you! I love your thinking here. Yes, this is absolutely one form of embracing the future-focused and resilience-focused thinking I'm alluding to. We're certainly at the mercy of government cycles and NZ is experiencing the depth of that flip-flop right now. It's hard to comprehend just how far that swing is going! But yes, perhaps there are ways to build resilience into the socio-ecological system by empowering communities to a level that can buffer the sorts of governmental swings we're experiencing at the moment. There are lots of ways to build resilience -- e.g. into governance, social systems, ecosystems, infrastructure and so on. Thanks for your interesting discussion!