We seem to be physiologically wired for danger, difficulty and adversity. And we seem to be emotionally hardwired for community. We also seem to be spiritually hardwired for a connection to the supernatural.
But we also have this inclination to adapt to our circumstances, and to assume that life will continue along its normal path into the future. Most people assume that the future will be a slightly altered version of today. It’s a bit strange to assume this when you think back to life only 30 years ago, and how different it is from today. Technology is wildly different (who could have predicted the impact of cell phones, “Tesla”, Bitcoin), the world power balance is different (Cold War) to name a few. Pandemics aren’t new, but this one is kind of odd in its impact.
One thing that we dramatically underestimate is the impact of abundance on our lives. We don’t have a clear awareness of its danger, but the impact is clear.
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Food overabundance in the West (especially the USA) is a significant problem. An estimated 70% of American adults are overweight or obese. The amount of sugar consumed in a year is pretty amazing – 152 pounds!
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Information addiction is a significant problem. The hours spent on digital escapism is stunning (USA: 13 hours per day). Real relationships suffer as a result, and mental health challenges increase as social media use increases.
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Financial overabundance is troubling. It’s not that wealth in and of itself is wrong, but that the disparity between those who have and those who do not have is widening (in 1983, wealthy families has 28X the wealth of the poorest families on average. Today that number has increased to 77X). At the same time, the average US household with debt owes $155,000 (including mortgages to be fair).
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Knowledge overabundance is frustrating. It means that valuable knowledge is hidden amongst the vast amounts of generally useless knowledge. Ease of access means that we don’t value internalization of knowledge.
What’s a person to do? Curling up under the blankets won’t make it go away. Withdrawal isn’t helpful.
First off, you have to recognize that keeping up with the Joneses is a bad plan. Also that living like the Joneses is not just a bad plan, it’s plain dangerous for your health, your wallet, your relationships and your soul.
Also, it’s good to recognize that the circumstances we currently live in aren’t normal, and they won’t continue on forever. Assuming they will leaves you in a dangerous, unprepared position.
Finally, it’s good for you to limit your freedom, especially in a culture that believes that doing whatever your want is the truest expression of freedom. It means that you’ll stand out like a shining light on a dark night. Limiting your freedom isn’t an end in and of itself, but it is a necessary step to prepare you to pursue the things that truly matter to you.
What will you do? The most scarce resources we have are time and attention. How will you leverage them in the midst of this dangerous moment of abundance?