It is easy to feel paralyzed and pessimistic when pondering the Anthropocene. With so much damage already done though carbon dioxide emissions and many complex and political issues ahead how could you not feel scared and overwhelmed?
While I am often overwhelmed by the vastness of issues presented by the Anthropocene, a “perspective” contemplative practice completed in class helped me see issues from a different frame of mind. For this practice, we were told to look to the future with three different attitudes: positivity, negativity, and an “it is what it is” attitude. It was easy for me to imagine a happy future free from the issues of climate change and general strife. While this perspective made me feel good, the perspective of accepting “it is what is is” stuck with me as a more realistic mindset.
I related this perspective to that of island villagers in HBO’s How to Let Go of the World and Love All the Things Climate Can’t Change. Those villagers were not defeated because their island was sinking, nor were they simply hoping ocean rise would cease; they were excited because they could act, in the form of protest, to stop their island from sinking. While the villagers’ efforts may not turn out to be successful, nor cause any systematic change, they were not internally defeated and attempted to make a difference.
I also applied an accepting attitude to my action project. While I am excited to have discussions on the effects of climate refugees to national security, I know my project will most likely have a minimal effect on the actual problem of climate change and climate refuges. Early in the planning phase, it felt as if our project was pointless as it would likely affect only a few. Although I wish our project could impact more people and effect actual policy, I will accept the result and move on knowing I put an honest effort forth for a cause I believe in.
Adopting this attitude could help those who want to make change, but feel stuck in a rut of hopelessness. I accept that a single attitude will not likely make any major societal change by itself, but any mindset that could help people create positive change should be considered. I challenge you to try an accepting perspective next time you have an overwhelming challenge, what do you have to lose?
Sources
Fox, John. How to Let Go of the World and Love All the Things Climate Can’t Change. 2016.