I have something to share in case it helps anyone navigating their own social circle/relationships when you are the only one seemingly collapse-aware.
I recently travelled with a friend and my selection of ‘Living Hot’ by Clive Hamilton and George Wilkenfeld at the airport bookshop was enough to tell me my friend was triggered by even this small harmless action. I was eager to read it after hearing Clive on the Wild podcast. I almost wished I had been Tom Hazard out of the novel ‘How to Stop Time’ and left the damn thing on the shelf. But I can’t deny truth and my curiosity and eagerness to be a better human and care for the Earth, so I bought it and read it on the plane. It is an excellent must-read and this is basically all I uttered to my friend as I delved into the book. I was later told on the trip to “be more positive”. The book contents had impacted my energy naturally into a reflective and despairing mode for a while. So the book got put aside until the return plane trip.
On our way home I had to drive in bad traffic while my friend let her techno-optimism viewpoints on AI and the future bubble up into our conversation. My friend pointedly said “you need to hear my points on AI” and when my softer responses on AI’s heavy dependence on electricity and water were ignored, I realised I was in a similar situation to the “BBQ conversations” Sarah has mentioned here in her chapters. I guess in that moment I was also recalling other instances this year I have experienced colleagues etc becoming more aggressive and steadfast in their cognitive dissonance- to the point they may not be humbled or awakened by reason or truth. It was that point that I felt a scary concern acknowledging the fact that not everyone will be ready when crisis and collapse hits. I continued to drive steady all the way home despite feeling heavy that my authenticity has never been enough for my ‘normal’ friends, family, and colleagues who are all not collapse-aware and barely aware of climate change. And despite my hurt in often being alone in my existentialism and all the friends who have faded out of my life, I feel the privilege of working in local government in circular economy as a Gen Z who is collapse-aware at this point in time. I am realising that you just have to keep following your heart, loving, forgiving and accepting no matter what. Even though it’s difficult when you are met with such retaliation. This chapter gave me further clarity on where to focus my attention, thank you Sarah. Radical acceptance makes sense. Unity and collective individuation makes sense. Fostering healing and resilience in bioregions/communities makes sense.
Your interview with Clive hit me with tears, I have known of the lead up to the poly-crisis since the 70's with my activist parents, my work of 30 yrs is pushing for just transition, I have always had a juggernaut of calm resilience inside my heart space, until Clive. The weeping circuit break I needed. Thank you both xos
Hi Wild community,
On the Chapter ‘This is not for everyone’-
I have something to share in case it helps anyone navigating their own social circle/relationships when you are the only one seemingly collapse-aware.
I recently travelled with a friend and my selection of ‘Living Hot’ by Clive Hamilton and George Wilkenfeld at the airport bookshop was enough to tell me my friend was triggered by even this small harmless action. I was eager to read it after hearing Clive on the Wild podcast. I almost wished I had been Tom Hazard out of the novel ‘How to Stop Time’ and left the damn thing on the shelf. But I can’t deny truth and my curiosity and eagerness to be a better human and care for the Earth, so I bought it and read it on the plane. It is an excellent must-read and this is basically all I uttered to my friend as I delved into the book. I was later told on the trip to “be more positive”. The book contents had impacted my energy naturally into a reflective and despairing mode for a while. So the book got put aside until the return plane trip.
On our way home I had to drive in bad traffic while my friend let her techno-optimism viewpoints on AI and the future bubble up into our conversation. My friend pointedly said “you need to hear my points on AI” and when my softer responses on AI’s heavy dependence on electricity and water were ignored, I realised I was in a similar situation to the “BBQ conversations” Sarah has mentioned here in her chapters. I guess in that moment I was also recalling other instances this year I have experienced colleagues etc becoming more aggressive and steadfast in their cognitive dissonance- to the point they may not be humbled or awakened by reason or truth. It was that point that I felt a scary concern acknowledging the fact that not everyone will be ready when crisis and collapse hits. I continued to drive steady all the way home despite feeling heavy that my authenticity has never been enough for my ‘normal’ friends, family, and colleagues who are all not collapse-aware and barely aware of climate change. And despite my hurt in often being alone in my existentialism and all the friends who have faded out of my life, I feel the privilege of working in local government in circular economy as a Gen Z who is collapse-aware at this point in time. I am realising that you just have to keep following your heart, loving, forgiving and accepting no matter what. Even though it’s difficult when you are met with such retaliation. This chapter gave me further clarity on where to focus my attention, thank you Sarah. Radical acceptance makes sense. Unity and collective individuation makes sense. Fostering healing and resilience in bioregions/communities makes sense.
This was longer than I intended.
Cheers,
Emma
Write as long as you like, I enjoyed reading this. I'll let Clive know.
Your interview with Clive hit me with tears, I have known of the lead up to the poly-crisis since the 70's with my activist parents, my work of 30 yrs is pushing for just transition, I have always had a juggernaut of calm resilience inside my heart space, until Clive. The weeping circuit break I needed. Thank you both xos