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Joakim Pettersson's avatar

I like this paragraph in particular, since it guides into a deeper meaning of sorrow:

“On the other side of climate sorrow and worry lies a deep care for this planet, nature, animals and our fellow humans. In the midst of ongoing crises we occasionally need to connect with that and remember why this world is worth to keep fighting for. “

I feel that the worry it brings is our only hope: It means we are changing into becoming more careful and caring.

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I can feel true hope in the realization of the utter hopelessness in our daily pursuits of imaginary happinesses - this lost hope in just having, means there is some hope in actually being. Does it make sense?

The life off of nature resources was only possible in a world with no outer boundary. The diverting them into poisons to all life through hoarding was a fantasy created by the most successful hoarders. Not actually a success story after all. But living within and strengthening natural flows is still possible.

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Do we need to feel a guilt about being happy then? Will it make us complacent and not as willing to change?

Yes and NO! It can make so much more sense to be happy now when consumerism is no longer defining it but actually ruining it: That kind of happiness does no harm at all. It may be harder to find - for us post-hoarders - but it is everywhere available if we just begin to look openly.

I have a mind trick for that: to scan nature, faces and art from right to left instead of narrowly trying to make sense of sensations. We need that true happiness of discovering to completely replace the fantasy of having what we know about. And I can feel it grow! Can you too feel it?

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Jeni's avatar

Thank you for writing this! I’m increasingly convinced that community is the answer to all our crises. I’m a working mum with minimal community support for my young children, and it really eats in to my ability to have anything to “give” to climate mitigation.

I have this constant sense of dread for not having more capacity beyond caregiving and my day job, but the climate crisis was caused by capitalist practices devaluing non-economic forms of wealth (environment, social reproduction)... so it is in some ways poetic I guess 🫠

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