The Collective Human Experience
Joy is not a function of a life free of friction and frustration, but a function of focus — an inner elevation by the fulcrum of choice.
Maria Popova • 18 Life-Learnings From 18 Years of the Marginalian
When we can begin to tap into the deep vessel of who we truly are, so many things would end about oppression. I believe the powers that be don’t want us rested because they know that if we rest enough, we are going to figure out what is really happening and overturn the entire system. Exhaustion keeps us numb, keeps us zombie-like, and keeps us on... See more
The Founder of the Nap Ministry on the Ways Rest Can Be a Form of Resistance
Contribute your skills to an existing effort – make it possible. Build the website, raise the funds, recruit the talent, plan the events. As Bill McKibben puts it, “Faced with the kind of crises that we face, the most important thing that an individual can do is to not always be an individual.” Move from I to we .
315 / Designing out recklessness
“[...] The distinctive feature of the societies to which this historical process [i.e. capitalism and industrialist mass production] gave rise is that productive activity is mostly governed by a logic that tends to strip it of things like meaning, playfulness and sociability.”
Thomas Klaffke • Aliveness: Reframing Productivity
caretaking is a kind of liberation
Thomas Klaffke • Aliveness: Reframing Productivity
Be gentle with yourself on the ‘What are you good at?’ question. Put your insecurities aside and simply consider what you have to offer – in your personal life, professional life, and civic life. If we each harness our superpowers, that will actually enable the radical changes we need.
315 / Designing out recklessness
In a world that glorifies individual success, we easily forget that our greatest power lies in our ability to come together. A truly empowered and resilient society can only arise from a sense of unity and collective purpose, not self-interest. How can we reclaim the power of the collective without losing our sense of self?
293 / Is self-expression just conformity in disguise?
It’s liberation from the idea that we can self-optimize ourselves to the point of not needing anyone else. That if we work hard enough to survive in a competitive economy, we’ll be able to buy, order, or summon anything we might need within 24 hours, and that is somehow progress. That instead of asking for help and support from the people and... See more
Thomas Klaffke • Aliveness: Reframing Productivity
Our fixation on measurable outcomes often leads us to overlook the nuances of human experience: comfort, joy, even a bit of whimsy.