The eyes of the future are looking back at us and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time. They are kneeling with hands clasped that we might act with restraint, that we might leave room for the life that is destined to come.
~ Terry Tempest Williams
~ Terry Tempest Williams
A declining or degenerative culture is a culture that oppresses life, fosters fear, and does not take care of the vulnerable. This kind of culture starts with one person, or a group of people, deciding to create collective practices that foster this kind of culture. From this lack of vitality, there is a ripple effect; where that lack begins to ripple out beyond. This has been happening for centuries, much of it now unconsciously. This is how culture is created. A culture declining in vitality is not regenerative and continues to perpetuate scarcity, fear, and a lack of connection. It lacks generosity and takes more than it gives.
Oppressing life is at the heart of this model. This happens when we do not take care of the most vulnerable in life, starting within ourselves, and then in the collective, including the Earth.
There are three essential components needed to create a declining or degenerative culture that does not take care of life and does not maintain vitality:
In addition, three essential practices are needed to create a declining or degenerative culture:
When life is not at the center and these components are cultivated and the practices are engaged, the result of this model is degeneration or the decline of vitality in our dominant culture. The natural consequence of this model is fear and even hate, and a lack of generosity.
The photo on this webpage was created by Springhouse learners and the Beehive Design Collective. Several years ago we collaborated on a project exploring how teens nationwide felt about their educational experiences. From that data, this mural was created.
Oppressing life is at the heart of this model. This happens when we do not take care of the most vulnerable in life, starting within ourselves, and then in the collective, including the Earth.
There are three essential components needed to create a declining or degenerative culture that does not take care of life and does not maintain vitality:
- Patho-adolescence–where human development is stalled in adolescence and egocentrism;
- Lack of commitment over time; and,
- A Shared myth of separation.
In addition, three essential practices are needed to create a declining or degenerative culture:
- Seeking security externally,
- Fostering individualism, and
- Extracting and consuming in unsustainable ways.
When life is not at the center and these components are cultivated and the practices are engaged, the result of this model is degeneration or the decline of vitality in our dominant culture. The natural consequence of this model is fear and even hate, and a lack of generosity.
The photo on this webpage was created by Springhouse learners and the Beehive Design Collective. Several years ago we collaborated on a project exploring how teens nationwide felt about their educational experiences. From that data, this mural was created.