I am delighted to see the level of discussion that is occurring in Vincentian Mindwalk! As I have said before the purpose of this site is to provide a space where a cross-section of the Vincentian Movement can respectfully explore questions that matter and share experiences and insights.
In that context I offer this “guest post” from Dee Mansi in Great Britain. She explores “How can we live better?” and the core, key Vincentian question “What must be done”.
As in many good discussions, she concludes with two further questions…
- Can we continue to absolve ourselves as massive consumers?
- Can we try harder to keep what is good from our lockdown life, and continue to confine consumerism?
Enough is Enough
“There can be no renewal of our relationship with nature without a renewal of humanity itself” Laudato Si 118.
As a social experiment, our cocooning community in quarantine lockdown has produced some interesting results for us as a consuming culture.
Reflecting on the state of our world, two questions come to mind “How can we live better?” and the core, key Vincentian question “What must be done”. These questions are a call for endless improvement and continual growth— individuals and community.
After the initial panic buying of food and consumables, people stopped buying clothes and items that would not be needed in the privacy of our homes. We were buying flour and home cooking ingredients instead. Closed restaurants and places of entertainment saw our bank balances stabilize. Reports of spending less and saving increased.
“Globally, population confinement has led to drastic changes in energy use and CO2 emissions” 17% or 17 million tonnes of carbon dioxide on 7th April 2020 – a drop down to 2006 levels. In Europe the drop was 27%; the biggest decrease since the end of World War 2 in 1945. Humorous social media videos of wild animals moving in streets are also lessons of how quickly nature will recover!
The Vincentian charism right from the start, is for continuous improvement in a mixture of contemplation and action, and that combination seems particularly relevant right now.
“We need to reimagine the shape of the progress. Today, we have economies that need to grow whether or not they make us thrive. What we need are economies that make us thrive whether or not they grow; this requires a profound shift in mindset.” Kate Raworth. She is an English economist known for her work on the ‘doughnut economics’ which she understands as an economic model that balances between essential human needs and planetary boundaries. Listen to her TED talk here.
There is a huge problem with using Gross Domestic Production (GDP) as a measure of a country’s wealth. A high GDP person will buy prepared food, uses a lot of energy in electric devices and drives a high fuel-use car. On the other hand, “those who grow their own vegetables, use public transport or limit their demands on energy aren’t as useful to society, measured by traditional economic worth” Jon Gertner, New York Times
But GDP does not allow for the health of our people, the quality of their education or joy of life. It does not include the beauty of music, poetry or the integrity of our public leaders.
Anything that ensures a worthwhile life is not measured.
“Education for sustainable development challenges individuals, institutions and societies to view tomorrow as a day that belongs to all of us or it will not belong anyone” UNESCO.
- Can we continue to absolve ourselves as massive consumers?
- Can we try harder to keep what is good from our lockdown life, and continue to confine consumerism?
Thoughtful article! I have been reflecting quite a bit on my simplified (and satisfying) life of gardening, culinary discoveries, and general sustainability. Now that restrictions are easing a bit, there is a pull to go back to my old ways. I think we have to be purposeful and mindful of the life we want to leave to overcome old patterns and habits. Thank you for the reminder.
Thanks Dee for this thoughtful article. We have to move away from a buy and discard culture. Beyond what must be done, we need to ask, how green we can make it.
I’ve seen this saying attributed to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: “Live simply, so that others may simply live.”
I don’t know where she supposedly said it and in what context. I’d appreciate it if someone knowledgeable can enlighten me on this. Thanks.
Also, years ago I saw on TV or read maybe in National Geographic Magazine that Bhutan did not use Gross National Product, but instead Gross National Happiness (or something like that).
Some quick research…
There seems to be no basis in her writings for attributing the statement to her.
It is more often attributed to Gandhi… but that is another issue since it has roots in the Quakers.
https://fauxtations.wordpress.com/2015/03/06/mother-seton-on-simplicity/
Thanks, John, for doing the quick research and “straightening” me on the quote. I share generally in both Gandhi’s and the Quakers’ points of view. The first time I saw the attribution to Mother Seton was in 1997 on the old Vincent-List, a listserv under the auspices of SJU, from one of the listers, Victor S., if I remember correctly.
And about Gandhi, T. Vitachi, a Sri Lankan who was a Newsweek columnist, said that Gandhi advised, “Satisfy your needs, minimize your wants.”
Wow! Thanks for bringing back the memories of the days I ran what we then called the Vincent ListServ. As I think of it, in many ways it was the forerunner of Vincentian Mindwalk. Using the technology of the day, it had the same purpose!
PS Somewhere in my collection I have an archival copy from the day we “retired” it around 2000.
John, you mean by archival copy a hard copy? Before SJU took “vincent@maelstrom” down completely, I used to be able to go back to my old posts and search by word, just to see what I said then. I wish I could still do so.
Indeed, that was a forerunner of Mindwalk, but the latter surely surpasses the former so much, even if more people, it seems now to me, have contributed then to the discussion of issues at hand. I remember, among others, Roberta Lerner, Fran Jacobs, Tim from Biloxi, a Vietnam War vet, Riley. And I’m glad to see that Vincentians from Canada contribute still.
Dee,
This is very inspiring. Thank you. No, we cannot continue to absolve ourselves as massive consumers. Change and conversion begins with each person in one’s lifestyle. We must advocate for change personally and collectively. The power of one goes far.
We recall the words of St John Henry Newman, “To live is to change, and to change often is to become more perfect.”
To your second question, yes I can always try harder. Lockdown life has taught us many lessons and certainly Laudato Si’ provides a blueprint for ecological awareness and action. The Global Catholic Movement provides many practical ideas of how to go about making practical changes within communities of all kinds to build a better world for all.