Category Archives: Society

the earth is the very quintessence of the human condition

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“The earth is the very quintessence of the human condition.”

—Hanna Arendt, 20th Century political philosopher, author, and Holocaust survivor

Image from Unsplash by Louis Reed

The latest annual edition of the Global Risk Report by the World Economic Forum, states that the majority of global leaders feel worried and concerned about the outlook of the world, and only 3.7% feel optimistic.

In the survey, nearly 1,000 experts and leaders across various disciplines, organizations, and geographies weighed in on the various Short (0-2 years), Medium (2-5 years) and Long-term impacts on our planet.

When it came to short term risks, respondents identified social risks including the erosion of “social cohesion” and “livelihood crisis” as the most immediate risks to the world.

EXERCISE:

Please review the study to become even more aware of the other societal, environmental, economic, technological, and geopolitical factors that are reflections of our human condition and the state of our beautiful and fragile world.

Consider the influence and power you have to impact these risks in your various communities.

“To belittle is to be little.”

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“To belittle is to be little.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Amazon

In her important book, Caste: The Origins of our Discontents, Isabel Wilkerson looks at the concept of the caste system and how it influences and shapes our lives and our nation.

Through vivid and specific examples and tragic stories from Nazi Germany, India, slavery, and the persecution of indigenous people in America, she brings light to the insidious undertow of caste and how it is experienced in both small and dramatic ways each day.

EXERCISE:

Where and how do you observe the belittling of others in your various communities? What words can you speak and what actions will you take to do far more be-bigging?

Consider reading this Oprah’s Book Club pick, and explore its importance and urgency with your family, friends, and colleagues.

It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society

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“It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

—Jiddu Krisnamurti, 20th Century Indian philosopher, speaker and writer

Image of a woman wearing a surgical mask

Image from Unsplash by Ani Kolleshi

How healthy are you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? What daily habits, rituals, and practices do you engage in to optimize your well-being?

What factors do you consider when you evaluate the health of your local, state, national, and global communities? To what degree do they require a rigorous annual physical, and a health optimization plan for the years ahead?

Unfortunately and to a certain degree, we all can be a bit selfish in that we tend to prioritize our inner worlds and our local environments to protect, insulate, and secure ourselves from the considerable negative and sick elements of society.

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways can you more fully optimize the health of both your inner and outer worlds? What would be possible if all people on our beautiful planet did this as well?