Wisdom Over Power: Why Contemplation & Wonder Are Essential for the Future of Humanity
The Great Simplification #165 with Iain McGilchrist
When looking at our global challenges, it can be easier to focus on the external factors that could be different. Yet a critical part of creating impactful change is turning the scope of reflection inward towards how our patterns of thinking influence the way we contribute to our surroundings. Is it possible that a path toward a better future begins in our own heads?
Today I’m joined by psychiatrist and neurologist
for a deep dive on the implications of western society’s over-reliance on analysis and categorization on the quality and expectations of our leadership and governance systems. Iain emphasizes the need for a shift in perspective, advocating for wisdom over power and a deeper understanding of the impact of technology on our values and attention.How can spiritually healthy and aware individuals lead the way towards societal change rooted in wisdom? How can focusing on the well-being of our closest communities create ripple-effects of emergence for broader humanity? Finally, how can embracing wonder and humility throughout our lives – in the face of our scariest challenges – guide us towards a more interconnected and sentient humanity?
In case you missed it…
In last week’s Frankly, I explored the evolutionary and historical foundations of 'wealth', from optimal foraging theory and relative fitness to the modern pursuit of profit. I examined the collective action problem which the pursuit of wealth on a finite planet creates: as we chase more ‘fake wealth’, we degrade the 'real wealth' - the stability of Earth’s ecosystems that sustain our descendants and those of other species. We are drawing down our natural bank account in the pursuit of individual financial gain.
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Recently, I launched a community-driven project to capture and share these stories and examples of transformation - from small to large scales, with personal and global impact. We invite you to submit a short video (maximum three minutes) sharing how engaging with TGS has influenced changes in your life – whether through community projects, career shifts, consumption habits, or local initiatives. These submissions will be compiled into an upcoming episode, creating a tapestry of responses to, in turn, creatively inspire others to imagine how these ideas might 'rhyme' with possible changes in their own lives and communities.
(The link to submit videos will only be live for a few weeks, so if you’d like to share your story for this project, the time is now.)
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The most important thing I got from this, especially since we are all currently putting an asterisk after our reply that we're 'fine thank you', the critical change each of us can make is within ourselves rather than trying always to look for solutions. Iain said that "Zen is not a way of abdicating responsibility for the world. To be always productive is very unproductive. To act too quickly and too much is to lose the prize and it's often won by a simple, single stroke, which needs to find its moment." Artists know this. The frustrating thing about the right hemisphere is that because it doesn't jump to conclusions and allows for more uncertainty, we have to train ourselves to invoke a certain disposition towards the world - hopefully a disposition that is marked by gentleness, compassion, humility and a sense of awe and wonder.
I love him