How Active Hope Can Change the World – Going From Problem-Talker to Problem-Solver [#14]

When talking to people who are aware of the environmental and social challenges of our time, I find there are three kinds.

The first kind of people don’t want to talk about it and prefer switching the topic of conversation. They want to avoid the difficult emotions that naturally arise and instead talk about lighter topics.

I can empathize, because I have been there.

The second kind of people like to talk endlessly about the challenges and problems of the world. But they stop there. They keep focusing on what doesn’t work, thereby becoming part of the problem.

You get what you focus on. If you only focus on problems, you don’t move on.

Yes, it is important to map the problem space so the solution to it actually addresses the root causes. But if you never think about solutions, they will never manifest.

I can empathize, because I have been there:

There was a time in my life when most of my conversations at some point drifted to the topic of how fucked the system was. It was sad. Because at some point you sit there and you turn silent, because it is all sa(i)d.

But then there are the third kind of people:

They have felt the emotions that arise when they realize that humans are destroying the biosphere on which they depend.

They are not numbing themselves.

They feel all the feelings and then use that fuel to imagine a better future.

They stay hopeful in the face of collapse.

They are developing agency, making connections, thinking systemically, and envisioning a better future.

And then, most importantly, they take action.

I feel that I am there now. I have stopped numbing myself. I felt and am still feeling all the emotions that come up when thinking about the state of the world.

Fear, Anger, Grief, Sadness, Despair.

By feeling them, they become less powerful.

By processing them, a space opens that allows me to act.

I don’t act out of fear anymore. I act out of love for the world.

I made peace with the fact that humankind might not make it, and the planet will become uninhabitable. But that's okay then. We will all die anyway, and then, when nature recovers, something new will be born.

But rather than using that to drift into Nihilism, I feel we should still try to do our best to influence the default conditions of the future.

Not because we expect rewards or praise for our virtue, but because it is the right thing to do with the level of privilege we hold.

Anyways, enough about me. This writing seeks to help you reach “Level 3”. To become a problem-solver, a changemaker.

Reading this, you are aware of the state of the world. That we are in ecological overshoot, that we are crossing planetary boundaries, that biodiversity is collapsing, that the weather is becoming more extreme due to climate change, that polarisation is rising as well as authoritarianism, and many more.

But you might not be comfortable feeling all the feelings.

And here I say: take the time to feel. It's a radical thing to do in a society that numbs us.

Feelings are there for a reason. They tell us something is up. When we engage with them, we learn what needs changing.

The problems of the world are big, systemic and not easily changeable.

But it can be done.

It starts with believing that you can do something. To believe that whatever you do can lead to a ripple effect.

Too many people think their actions don’t have any impact. But complexity theory teaches us that many small interventions (i.e., many people deciding to do something) are more effective in systems change than a few big interventions.

It starts with developing agency. By realising that whatever you have learned so far in life can be used to do something good.

It’s overcoming passivity and becoming active.

To practice active hope.

“Passive hope is about waiting for external agencies to bring about what we desire. Active Hope is about becoming active participants in bringing about what we hope for. Active Hope is a practice. Like tai chi or gardening, it is something we do rather than have.”
—Joanna Macy in Active Hope

Here is a recipe from Joanna on how to cultivate the essential ingredient in developing agency to become an agent of change:

The Four-Stage Spiral towards Active Hope

1. Coming from Gratitude - cultivating appreciation for life and what we value most. It helps us build resilience and connects us to what we’re working to protect. Practicing gratitude also makes us happier because it focuses us on what we have, rather than what we think we need.
2. Honoring Our Pain for the World - rather than suppressing eco-anxiety and grief about environmental destruction, we need to acknowledge & work through these difficult emotions. Make space for grief and pain. This can be a personal grief ritual or talking to a trusted person about how you really feel.
3. Seeing with New Eyes - shifting perspective to see beyond individual limitations and recognizing our interconnection with all life. This is the part where you realize you have a part to play in the theater of life. It creates connection and joy.
4. Going Forth - finding your unique role and taking action. Using the insight gained and motivation nurtured, you choose where to put your time and attention to create a better world (depending on your circumstances, skills, resources, and connections).

For each of the steps, there are specific practices outlined in her book. If you are curious, ​get it here​ :)

This is important:

You need to understand that your emotions are your superpowers.

Not just in becoming active to be a changemaker in this world, but in everyday life.

Emotional intelligence is the key skill for the 21st century.
- Yuval Noah Harari

If we all feel more, we would have fewer problems in the world. Because feeling is a feedback that we can listen to and act upon.

But we usually numb our feelings with alcohol, TV, Social Media, work, or whatever floats your boat.

One of the most important learning for me in life was that if you choose to feel the feelings, they become less intense.

Suffering comes from attachment to or avoidance of emotions.- Buddhist Wisdom

The biggest problem in the world today for me is not material.

It’s internal.

It is the lack of care. It is diminishing compassion and empathy. It is the numbing of our emotions.

We all have the capacity inside us to feel.

It’s just that the system around us is not incentivising us to feel.

On the contrary, it incentivises us to be rational, egoistic, angry, fearful, and transactional.

So we need to work on systems change.

For that, we need changemakers.

For that, we need people who know how to feel more so they can act.

For that, we need people who are aware that feeling is the key.

Now you know. ;-)

Happy feeling,
Jonas

P.S.: If you are curious to learn more about systems change, here are 3 free resources that might interest you:

• ​Awareness-Based Systems Change​ - A self-paced course on theory and practice that sees inner change as the core of systems change - From Theory U
• ​A Masterclass in Systems Change​ - A 10-week in-depth self-paced course about systems change from Ashoka
• ​Bioregional Changemaking​ - A self-paced 5h course on systems change applied to a local context with examples from different bioregions in Europe.