Gone are the days, for most people, when you could sit still in school, get good grades, and have a reasonable expectation of converting your academic achievements into career capital.
Because what kinds of careers promise job security and financial stability in a world that's simultaneously flooding and boiling?
Australian academic, craftsperson, and storyteller Tyson Yunkaporta looks at Western civilization as a self-terminating algorithm, and current events are not proving him wrong.
So given that we've brought economic, environmental, political, and social ruin down upon the planet, with just a tiny percentage of people poised to thrive in some digital metaverse until the food runs out, what are the rest of us to do?
How are today's young people supposed to plan out their lives?
What are the responsibilities upon older generations? Do we in Gen X have to “take one for the team” in order to give our kids a livable future? And what does that even look like?
How can we take care of ourselves and build stability and wealth in the framework of a crumbling system?
To give you a sense of Tyson's assessment of the current state of industrialized civilization, here's a verbatim from our conversation, in which he riffs on Audre Lorde's pronouncement that you can't tear down the master's house using the master's tools:
“So we've finally arrived to dismantle the master's house using the master's tools, but he doesn't live there any more.
“He doesn't live there any more. He's buying up water rights and spearheading land grabs elsewhere. He hopes we'll tear his house down because it's insured for more than he could get for selling the place.
“And his nephew, who's into social justice and deep ecology and philanthropy is using the house now. He’s holding a frat party / spiritual retreat there and he invites us all in for vodka shots and ayahuasca.
“Nah, these new masters have no home, no country. They are super wealthy refugees from the great nations they have guttered and rendered irrelevant, building leaky life rafts from decentralized autonomous organizations, making a crossing to digital realms without Westphalian boundaries in a bid to keep all their shit while the world floods and boils.”
This is dark stuff, but dark stuff that we ignore at our peril.
And part of the mission of Plant Yourself is to help us face reality with open eyes, so we can build a better future in partnership with others.
There are dozens of threads to follow in this conversation, but the one that leaves me with the most hope and resolve is how we can each discover our role in the “thousand year cleanup” that's going to be necessary following the continued collapse.
I'd love to hear your thoughts – just remember, please, to be kind and respectful in the comments. There's room for all of our voices, and in fact they're all necessary, given the uncertainty and ambiguity we're facing.
Links
Sand Talk, by Tyson Yunkaporta
“The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House” – 1984 Audre Lorde essay
The Dawn of Everything, by David Graeber and David Wengrow
Looking for Transformational Change?
You know how when you discovered plant-based eating, you basically went, “Holy shit, how come the entire healthcare system isn't totally embracing this as one of the most powerful keys to disease prevention and reversal!”?
That's how I feel now about a psychological approach to transformational change called “Memory Reconsolidation.” Few psychologists have heard about it, and when they do hear the radical transformations it can bring about in a very short time, they're often skeptical to the point of disbelief.
But I've added Memory Reconsolidation work to my own coaching, and can attest to its amazing efficacy. So much so, that I'm devoting the next year to mastering it, studying with the best clinicians and teachers in the world, and then introducing it into health coaching through my trainings.
Right now, I want to triple my coaching practice to get more and more opportunities to do this work. And I'm lowering my fees – a lot – to make it easier for people to work with me.
If you're interested in working with me (and willing to commit to a minimum of 2 months), click the link below to open the form in a new browser tab and I'll get back to you within 3 business days.
Yes, I'm interested in Memory Reconsolidation Coaching.
You CAN Change Other People!
Well, that's what Peter Bregman and I claim in our provocative book of that title.
What we really mean is, you can help the people around you make behavioral changes in their own best interests. If you think you're powerless to help people change, it's because you've been going about it the wrong way.
Discover our straightforward, replicable process here: You Can Change Other People.
Audiobook: Use the Weight to Lose the Weight
Listen to Josh LaJaunie and me narrate our latest audiobook, about how to start moving when you're obese.
It's $10, and Josh and I split it evenly 🙂
Tip Jar
This podcast is not underwritten by advertising, so I can experience complete editorial autonomy without worrying about pissing off the person paying the bills. Instead, I pay the bills, with your help. It's free for those who can't afford to pay, and supported by those who can. You can contribute to the growth and improvement of the podcast by clicking the “Support on Patreon” or “Donate” buttons on the right to help out.
Music
The Plant Yourself Podcast theme music, “Dance of Peace (Sabali Don),” is generously provided by Will Ridenour, a kora player from North Carolina who has trained with top Senegalese musicians.
It can be found on his first CD, titled Will Ridenour.
You can learn about Will, listen to more tracks, and buy music on his website, WillRidenour.com.
Gratitudes
Thanks to Plant Yourself podcast patrons – Kim Harrison – Lynn McLellan – Brittany Porter – Dominic Marro – Barbara Whitney – Tammy Black – Amy Good – Amanda Hatherly – Mary Jane Wheeler – Ellen Kennelly – Melissa Cobb – Rachel Behrens – Tina Scharf – Tina Ahern – Jen Vilkinofsky – David Byczek – Michele X – Elspeth Feldman – Leah Stolar – Allan Kristensen – Colleen Peck – Michele Landry – Jozina – Sara Durkacs – Kelly Cameron – Janet Selby – Claire Adams – Tom Fronczak – Jeannette Benham – Gila Lacerte – David Donohue – Blair Seibert – Doron Avizov – Gio and Carolyn Argentati – Jodi Friesner – Mischa Rosen – Michael Worobiec – AvIvA Lael – Alicia Lemus – Val Linnemann – Nick Harper – Bandana Chawla – Molly Levine – The Inscrutable Harry R – Susan Laverty the Panda Vegan – Craig Covic – Adam Scharf – Karen Bury – Heather Morgan – Nigel Davies – Marian Blum – Teresa Kopel – Julian Watkins – Brid O'Connell – Shannon Herschman – Linda Ayotte – Holm Hedegaard – Isa Tousignant – Connie Haneline – Erin Greer – Alicia Davis – Heather O'Connor – Carollynne Jensen – Sheri Orlekoski of Plant Powered for Health – Karen Smith – Scott Mirani – Karen and Joe Crabtree – Kirby Burton – Theresa Carrell – Kevin Macaulay – Elizabeth Rothschild – Ann Jesse – Sheryl Dwyer – Jenny Hazelton – Peter W Evans – Dennis Bird – Darby Kelly – Lori Fanney – Linnea Lundquist – Emily Iaconelli – Levi Wallach – Rosamonde McAtee – Dan Pokorney – Stephen Leinin – Patty DeMartino – Mike and Donna Kartz – Deanne Bishop – Bilberry Elf – Marjorie Lewis – Tricia Adams – Nancy Sheldon – Lindsey Bashore – Gunn Marit Hagen – Tracey Gulledge – Lara Hedin – Meg from Mamasezz – Stacey Stokes – Ben Savage – Michael K – David Hughes -Coni Rodgers – Claire England – Sally Robertson – Parham Ganchi – Amy Dailey – Brian Tourville – Mark Jeffrey Johnson – Josie Dempsey – Caryn Schmitt – Pamela Hayden – Emily Perryman – Allison Corbett – Richard Stone – Lauren Vaught of Edible Musings – Erin Hastey – Sean Owens – Sagar Naik – Erika Piedra – Danielle Roberts – Michael Leuchten – Sarah Johnson – Katharine Floyd – Meryl Fury – for your generous support of the podcast.
Disclosure
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Fantastic episode Howie, really enjoying your conversations with Tyson. Rethinking what Plant Yourself really means is very powerful, it has made me rethink how I plant myself in my own community. Thanks! Sean