Conscious Human(ity), No. 54
Searching for a win-win solution, doing things simply, breaking creative blocks, Leo Grande, a puppy named Ember, and more...
Welcome to this week’s edition of Conscious Human(ity) — it’s so good to see you here!
Below are seven things that have made my week better (one for each day of the week). They’re formatted so you can scan through and skip over things that aren’t interesting to you, and dive deeper into those that are.
I hope at least one thing brightens your day, prompts an ‘aha’ moment, or inspires you to take action on something close to your heart.
Firstly, congratulations to Emily B who was the first one to email me last week with ‘double rewards’ for $20 off a box of Who Gives a Crap toilet paper! *The code expires today if you haven’t ordered yet, Em!
Searching for a Win-Win Solution
I listened to Sarah Wilson chatting to Liv Bouree on Wednesday. Liv has a fascinating background as a former professional poker player (yes!) and astrophysicist who now works as an educator and filmmaker at the intersection of game theory, technology and catastrophic risk. The main concept that Liv and Sarah discussed was “Moloch” which is a game theory (not to be confused with the Australian Moloch, aka. Thorny Devil/Lizard) that explains the dynamics of collective self-sabotage. It sounds technical and academic, but as I listened to their practical examples, Moloch started to make a lot of sense as a lens for viewing our modern world.
Sarah explains Moloch in a Substack post:
“Why [do we] compete to make AI that could kill us? As in, all of us? Why build algorithms that damage kids and the social fabric? Why don’t the powers-that-be just stop (instead of calling for flimsy pauses)?
It’s because we can’t.
The system has us handcuffed to a particular kind of systemic, race-to-the-bottom death spiral that some folk are calling Moloch, after a God in the Hebrew Bible who rewarded child sacrifice with victories in war.”
A simple, practical example is,
“when you’re at a concert and someone at the front stands up to get a better view. Which makes everyone behind them also stand up. Everyone competes to get a better view. In the end, everyone is left having to stand for the entire concert. Everyone loses.”
And the deeper you go, the more things Moloch theory can be applied to, like AI beauty filters on social media, and the social and cultural competition to ‘get ahead’ by buying a nice house in the suburbs, and sending your kids to private school, etc. Essentially, it can apply any time you feel like you’re doing something because everyone else is, and if you stop doing it, you’ll be disadvantaged. Damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.
Oof. That’s kind of depressing!!
But, the good news is that both Sarah and Liv share a hopeful outlook, despite the Moloch phenomenon. Better the devil you know, as the saying goes. Liv interviews a whole raft of deep thinkers, and doers, on her Substack, from people working on solving ocean plastic, cultivated meat and food sustainability, unleashing Africa’s economic potential, moon exploration, AI development, and much more! These are all people who are dedicated to finding competitive alternatives to Moloch, despite (and because of) the ‘metacrisis’ we find ourselves in.
If this has piqued your interest, Liv features in this interview with the Foresight Institute, explaining Game Theory, Moloch, and Our Hopeful Future. You can also find her on Instagram and her new podcast, Win-Win, which explores competition in all its forms.
Doing Things Simply
On an individual level, a win-win solution could be to just do those things you want to do. I saw a beautiful quote from a reader of Positive News in this article that said,
“My wife once said: ‘Anything worth doing is worth doing simply.’ It changed my life. Whatever it is in life, if it’s worth doing, find the smallest and easiest way to accomplish it and do it. We spend too much time trying to ‘do things right’, or do them on a grandiose scale, when just doing it should be the only option.” – Jaiden, North Carolina, US
I’m often guilty of being a ‘one-day’ dreamer. I’ll make plans for work, or the garden, or family activities, for when conditions are right, e.g., when we have enough money, time, energy, etc. But so many things could be accomplished right now, if we just did them simply.
I’ve also found that living on a tighter budget has forced me into doing things more creatively. For example, I gathered some native flowers and leaves from my mum’s garden today to give to a friend and made a card on Canva with instructions for how to dry the flowers, if she wants to. I could have spent $40-$50 on a bunch of flowers and a card, but with a little more time and by using materials I already had on-hand, I delivered a meaningful present that cost me nearly nothing. And something about that just feels more satisfying than going to a shop.
So maybe, simple (and low-cost) is better.
No more excuses!
Breaking Creative Blocks
In other creative news, this week’s edition of The Art of Noticing featured a series of prompts to break creative blocks, originally shared by authors in a book called Creative Block. The prompts are good for artists and other creatives who are feeling a bit stuck, but I also think they’re great if you’re just looking for a fresh perspective (or a break from your phone).
The first one is my favourite:
Matthias Heiderich proposes “Once Around the Block.” Spend an hour or so exploring your neighborhood and photographing or sketching “banal objects” with the goal of finding a “new side” to “objects in your neighborhood you haven’t paid much attention to before.” Don’t worry about the quality of the images; “it’s about the process.”
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (adults only!)
Moving to entertainment, I happened upon Good Luck to You, Leo Grande while I was half-heartedly looking for something to watch on Netflix earlier this week. I was in two minds about mentioning it here because it won’t be for everyone, but Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack are so brilliant, and it just completely surprised me with its sensitivity and playfulness, that I had to include it in the end (and it definitely made my week better, which is one of the inclusion criteria for this newsletter)!
Emma plays a recently widowed, retired teacher (Nancy) who hires Daryl (Leo), a charming twenty-something sex worker, to give her a crash course in pleasure. It’s not so simple though, because Nancy is completely terrified, low in confidence and carries a lot of emotional baggage. As she says, “there are nuns out there with more sexual experience than me.”
As it turns out, Leo has baggage of his own and the two connect in non-physical ways, and challenge each other, well before they get naked. Yes, there’s nudity and sex scenes, but it’s also sex-positive and handles some tricky themes with nuance. If this sounds like something you’re keen on (and gosh, Daryl McCormack is lovely! 😅) it’s on Netflix right now.
Found in the Embers
On a completely different note, I came across this feel-good story from Fire Rescue Victoria on LinkedIn and then went to find the Instagram post so I could more easily share it here (see below).
The story goes that as Firefighter Alex Eldridge moved through a building in Sunshine North that had been devastated by fire, he found a puppy pinned under steel and debris, then…
Scooping up the terrified puppy, Alex carried her from the embers and placed her safely in the hands of a ranger.
She was transferred to the Lost Dog’s Home and received expert veterinary care for smoke inhalation and burns to her front paws and nose.
“I shielded her with my body and when I looked down, it was beautiful, she trusted me straight away,” Alex said.
Alex expressed interest in adopting the puppy should she be unclaimed after the waiting period.
As fate would have it, they were meant to be together, when the Lost Dog’s Home contacted Alex to confirm the four-month-old Husky/Akita mix was available for adoption.
After discussing it with his partner Jordie, the adoption was finalised, and the puppy, now named Ember, started her new life with her “furever family”
What a beautiful, happy ending!
Re-greening Success
While we’re in ‘good news’ mode, I found this success story about reforestation in the Dominican Republic and it’s so refreshing to see hard work paying off!
The Yaque River basin restoration project has reduced soil degradation by 18% over 10-years and improved water security. While it hasn’t been easy to convince land owners that reforesting their farms benefits them as well as the land, those that have joined the program are enjoying better soil health, and retaining precious rainwater.
There is still tension between project leaders, tourists, and developers, but with early economic success as a result of the program, hopefully more people will see what Andrea Meza, Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) believes:
“The most cost-effective thing is to have a healthy environment and make nature a great friend and ally”.
A Final Giggle
Finally, to our laughter medicine…
Even though they’re much older than this little cherub now, my boys react exactly the same way when I sing!
And another one ‘from the mouths of babes’ - this little guy has spotted a problem with his new baby sister. So sweet!
As always, I hope something here has brightened your day, prompted an ‘aha’ moment, or inspired you to take action on something close to your heart.
I’m off to spend some time with family for Easter Sunday, and I might even have some chocolate! I hope you have a happy and safe week and as always, I love hearing your comments and questions!
P.S. I didn’t include the latest feature on The Artist’s Way from ArtsHub above, but if you’re keen to read about recovering a sense of identity (this week’s theme), it’s here.