Yes! Goodall describes Hope as seeing a way forward and making a plan to get there. Often the hopeful way forward is against the odds but its the worthy way. To strive and try and fail still permits the peace of knowing you did the best you could. The opposite of hope is certainty. Fear mongering is based on the certainty of if this is done that will follow. It is meant to deter actions and make people defer to authority, those who know. The only given is change. Certainty is brittle while hope is adaptive. Hope in concert with others is how humankind survives, thrives and continue to grow in population. We are rich in humanity. (except for the 1% that hoards and squanders, they are a sorry lot beneath the glitter of their accessories).
Really good essay Alexander. I have read it through a couple of times now and decided to print it out because this is one I want to sit with. I so appreciate you sharing your journey with us. Lots of wisdom to glean from this one.
How lucky I am to have set this evening aside for some deep Substack reading, and to have bookmarked your essay, so beautifully illustrated by French street scenes that feel so familiar to me. As an American, although French as well now for nearly 20 years, I am also finding hope so very hard to find, but you gave me some inspiration. I won't go point for point, but as for children, we're going to be (old) grandparent in June! That is something positive to focus on.
And good luck with Meta/Facebook. It seems permanently in flux there with things changing in the back end constantly without warning - I'm not certain anyone is at the wheel.
Hello Alexander, while your list of “useful things” is correct and most helpful, I am not interested in “the online existence” of the many that “fall into one of two camps.” I expect more real observations from your perspective of one surveying the land up in the crow’s nest. Instead, it’s in your mind that things will get worse. You repeat the gospel that the world is collapsing and the end is nigh– a cry to get people to change their ways as old as Nostradamus.
You don’t speak for us when you claim that our species wants to destroy itself. You are naïve to believe the planet will heal like we never existed, that the forests (nature) that once covered the Sahara will return without our intervention, or that extinct organisms will return without our assistance.
The natural state of things is for energy to run downhill. The natural tendency is to go to entropy, a low-energy state of disorder. Life defies the second law of thermodynamics, goes against the winds, and works to organize out of chaos. Lacking the strength and tenacity of Sisyphus, we gain ground by working in concert with others. There will be times when we lose ground; you can count on it. Then we must nurse our wounds, get up, and go at it again. That’s life. There are no guarantees; nothing is meant to be, only earned, grateful for making it through another day.
We are responsible for what our actions do to others. We have passed a tipping point of removing too much vegetation and soils replaced with hard surfaces, heat islands, and a cascade of problems. As a result, without an increase in annual rainfall, more stormwater is carving up the land, dumping heat in the ocean, causing sea levels to rise, warming the Arctic with more Gulf Stream water, and changing the climate. It is up to us to be the healers and restore the soil and vegetation. World soil has lost a volume of moisture greater than Lake Huron. With water in the land, plants can thrive even during dry periods. Ecosystems may be restored, and our quality of life in nature with them.
Please don’t give up on the natural world, which has cradled us for millennia, discarded like an old toy, in favor of some imagined better world. Play the hand dealt. Let’s continue observing and learning about nature. Let’s make good soil and enjoy the company of good souls. Together we can.
Thank you for this (as ever) thoughtful essay. I know you don’t intend them to be but your list of thoughts on how to live in these troubled times reads like a manifesto for living, and I fully agree with it.
What a beautiful living document and call to at once narrow AND expand our perspective, Alexander. Thank you. I needed this - and these days, when it comes to writing specifically, I am continuously asking myself, “How to show up?”
This is a very profound and touching post, Alex. Your list is practical and achievable. Improve the soil. Grow more of what we eat. Lighten our footprint. Reduce our dependencies. Think of others, youngsters in particular and find ways to encourage and teach without switching them off (or being drowned by the strident voices of ‘more, more’ or tech is best. Touched too that you kindly share our values and echo them in the way you are. We should add, I’m certain, build communities of people who share your values. Thank you for making my brain tick over with the good stuff. B
I've been thinking very much along these same lines lately. What legacy are we leaving our children? One where they must pattern themselves to fit in with the current norm or one where they are free to express their uniqueness in speech, behaviour, beliefs? It's time for a new freedom, based on the right to be ourselves, whatever that means, as long as we aren't harming others. Your daughter is delightful. She hasn't yet forced herself into the mould and hopefully never will. I'd add to your list: cherish the uniqueness of each person, including yourself.
A thought provoking post (and the photos are wonderful ). 'Nature is key and that is the place from where we should ALL start' has been and is the central belief of my life since childhood. As issues with eyesight and arthritis slow me down (maybe I count as an elder at 67?), as well as growing wish to focus more locally for a myriad of environmental and social reasons, I am making a concerted effort to pay more attention to small things, to dawdle more rather than cover distance, to stand and look more. It's a process, and I'm learning patience with myself. ('Make Good Soul' was a serendipitous typo.)
Brilliant! You might enjoy Jane Goodall’s Book of Hope, if you don’t already know it
Yes! Goodall describes Hope as seeing a way forward and making a plan to get there. Often the hopeful way forward is against the odds but its the worthy way. To strive and try and fail still permits the peace of knowing you did the best you could. The opposite of hope is certainty. Fear mongering is based on the certainty of if this is done that will follow. It is meant to deter actions and make people defer to authority, those who know. The only given is change. Certainty is brittle while hope is adaptive. Hope in concert with others is how humankind survives, thrives and continue to grow in population. We are rich in humanity. (except for the 1% that hoards and squanders, they are a sorry lot beneath the glitter of their accessories).
Beautifully expressed!
Really good essay Alexander. I have read it through a couple of times now and decided to print it out because this is one I want to sit with. I so appreciate you sharing your journey with us. Lots of wisdom to glean from this one.
How lucky I am to have set this evening aside for some deep Substack reading, and to have bookmarked your essay, so beautifully illustrated by French street scenes that feel so familiar to me. As an American, although French as well now for nearly 20 years, I am also finding hope so very hard to find, but you gave me some inspiration. I won't go point for point, but as for children, we're going to be (old) grandparent in June! That is something positive to focus on.
"hermitude" is superb, thank you!
And good luck with Meta/Facebook. It seems permanently in flux there with things changing in the back end constantly without warning - I'm not certain anyone is at the wheel.
Hello Alexander, while your list of “useful things” is correct and most helpful, I am not interested in “the online existence” of the many that “fall into one of two camps.” I expect more real observations from your perspective of one surveying the land up in the crow’s nest. Instead, it’s in your mind that things will get worse. You repeat the gospel that the world is collapsing and the end is nigh– a cry to get people to change their ways as old as Nostradamus.
You don’t speak for us when you claim that our species wants to destroy itself. You are naïve to believe the planet will heal like we never existed, that the forests (nature) that once covered the Sahara will return without our intervention, or that extinct organisms will return without our assistance.
The natural state of things is for energy to run downhill. The natural tendency is to go to entropy, a low-energy state of disorder. Life defies the second law of thermodynamics, goes against the winds, and works to organize out of chaos. Lacking the strength and tenacity of Sisyphus, we gain ground by working in concert with others. There will be times when we lose ground; you can count on it. Then we must nurse our wounds, get up, and go at it again. That’s life. There are no guarantees; nothing is meant to be, only earned, grateful for making it through another day.
We are responsible for what our actions do to others. We have passed a tipping point of removing too much vegetation and soils replaced with hard surfaces, heat islands, and a cascade of problems. As a result, without an increase in annual rainfall, more stormwater is carving up the land, dumping heat in the ocean, causing sea levels to rise, warming the Arctic with more Gulf Stream water, and changing the climate. It is up to us to be the healers and restore the soil and vegetation. World soil has lost a volume of moisture greater than Lake Huron. With water in the land, plants can thrive even during dry periods. Ecosystems may be restored, and our quality of life in nature with them.
Please don’t give up on the natural world, which has cradled us for millennia, discarded like an old toy, in favor of some imagined better world. Play the hand dealt. Let’s continue observing and learning about nature. Let’s make good soil and enjoy the company of good souls. Together we can.
Step out into the country
The wind upon your face
Although it may be cold
It’s Mother Nature’s warm embrace
Breath heavy on her perfume
Abound with nature’s best
Feast well upon her table
And sleep upon her breast. Alan G. Brydon
Thank you for this generous, open and encouraging piece.
Alex I am just going to share this its such a great essay!
I hope you're well and enjoying spring my friend!
Thank you for this (as ever) thoughtful essay. I know you don’t intend them to be but your list of thoughts on how to live in these troubled times reads like a manifesto for living, and I fully agree with it.
What a beautiful living document and call to at once narrow AND expand our perspective, Alexander. Thank you. I needed this - and these days, when it comes to writing specifically, I am continuously asking myself, “How to show up?”
Good words, great spirit, and even better photos. And then you name checked my beloved Ursula Penguin 🐧🌹. All the best on your journey.
This is a very profound and touching post, Alex. Your list is practical and achievable. Improve the soil. Grow more of what we eat. Lighten our footprint. Reduce our dependencies. Think of others, youngsters in particular and find ways to encourage and teach without switching them off (or being drowned by the strident voices of ‘more, more’ or tech is best. Touched too that you kindly share our values and echo them in the way you are. We should add, I’m certain, build communities of people who share your values. Thank you for making my brain tick over with the good stuff. B
I've been thinking very much along these same lines lately. What legacy are we leaving our children? One where they must pattern themselves to fit in with the current norm or one where they are free to express their uniqueness in speech, behaviour, beliefs? It's time for a new freedom, based on the right to be ourselves, whatever that means, as long as we aren't harming others. Your daughter is delightful. She hasn't yet forced herself into the mould and hopefully never will. I'd add to your list: cherish the uniqueness of each person, including yourself.
A thought provoking post (and the photos are wonderful ). 'Nature is key and that is the place from where we should ALL start' has been and is the central belief of my life since childhood. As issues with eyesight and arthritis slow me down (maybe I count as an elder at 67?), as well as growing wish to focus more locally for a myriad of environmental and social reasons, I am making a concerted effort to pay more attention to small things, to dawdle more rather than cover distance, to stand and look more. It's a process, and I'm learning patience with myself. ('Make Good Soul' was a serendipitous typo.)