{"id":4671,"date":"2010-04-12T00:02:23","date_gmt":"2010-04-11T22:02:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=4671"},"modified":"2010-04-12T03:29:10","modified_gmt":"2010-04-12T01:29:10","slug":"implication-of-personal-despair-in-planetary-despair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2010\/04\/implication-of-personal-despair-in-planetary-despair\/","title":{"rendered":"IMPLICATION OF PERSONAL DESPAIR IN PLANETARY DESPAIR"},"content":{"rendered":"

Avoiding Entrapment in Hopeful Anticipation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/a>
\nPersonal despair and depression<\/a>
\nCatalysts of personal despair<\/a>
\nPersonal despair of social change agents<\/a>
\nArticulation of personal despair by change agents<\/a>
\nRecognition of planetary despair<\/a>
\nQuestionable remedies for collective despair<\/a>
\nPersonal participation in planetary despair<\/a>
\nPlanetary embodiment as a cognitive challenge<\/a>
\nNourishment through despair — transcendence through despair?<\/a>
\nImagining a new way — drawing on both science and culture <\/a>
\nIn quest of a “gateless way”<\/a>
\nReferences<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Introduction<\/h3>\n

The following argument is an effort to acknowledge the extent of personal despair, both amongst those whose suffering is widely acknowledged and amongst those who endeavour to respond to it. The relationship of this sense of personal despair to despair about the developing condition of the planet is then explored.<\/p>\n

The argument here is that the very heavy investment in “hope”, especially in public discourse, is increasingly serving as a narcotic to dull such pain and to distract from acting in a more healthy manner in response to it. This was evident in the period of the recent financial crisis (Credibility Crunch engendered by Hope-mongering “Credit crunch” focus as symptom of a dangerous mindset<\/em><\/a>, 2008). The phenomenon could be understood as having been brought to a head with the hope projected onto the United Nations Climate Change Conference<\/a> (Copenhagen, 2009) and the despair experienced by those who had expected a legally binding agreement to emerge from that process (Insights for the Future from the Change of Climate in Copenhagen<\/em><\/a>, 2010).<\/p>\n

This need for “hope” also takes the form of a need for expression in a “positive” mode and a deprecation of any “negative” expression. Its issues are consistent with the ‘bright-siding’ deprecated by Barbara Ehrenreich<\/a> (Bright-sided: how the relentless promotion of positive thinking has undermined America<\/em>, 2009) — and what might be termed ‘globallooning’ (Globallooning — Strategic Inflation of Expectations and Inconsequential Drift<\/em><\/a>, 2009). As previously noted, such ‘positive thinking’ fails consciously to recognize the “unsaid” (Global Strategic Implications of the ‘Unsaid’<\/em><\/a>, 2003; Being Positive Avoiding Negativity: management challenge of positive vs negative<\/em><\/a>, 2005). This is curiously echoed in the recent recognition of the significance of both “dark matter” by astrophysicists and the secrecy systematically cultivated by the Catholic Church regarding sexual abuse of children (Beyond the Standard Model of Universal Awareness: being not even wrong?<\/em><\/a> 2010).\u00a0 The latter being a source of immense despair for many.<\/p>\n

One response to the hope-mongering by Barack Obama (The Audacity of Hope: thoughts on reclaiming the American dream<\/a><\/em>, 2006) has been a criticism of the “apotheosis of co-optation” by Eamon Martin (Obama and\u00a0 The Audacity of Despair<\/a><\/em>, CounterPunch<\/em>, 5 August 2008).<\/p>\n

The question addressed here is what reframing is possible through acknowledgement of the extent and nature of despair. The argument for a more balanced approach, reconciling positive and negative feedback loops in a cybernetic sense, is consistent with the methodology of the Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential<\/em>. It follows from an earlier exploration of the intimate relationship between individual physical health and the health of the planet (Cognitive Implications of Lifestyle Diseases of Rich and Poor: transforming personal entanglement with the natural environment<\/em><\/a>, 2010).\u00a0 However, whereas, as conventionally understood, so-called lifestyle diseases do not typically include the sense of existential despair and associated depression, this possibility is highlighted here — as possibly indicative of clues to the radical nature of cognitive reframing that is called for at this time.<\/p>\n

Personal despair and depression<\/h3>\n

Much is increasingly made of the worldwide incidence of depression<\/a>, otherwise known as clinical depression, major depression, unipolar depression, or unipolar disorder. This is recognized as a common mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. This disorder is distinguished from mood depression<\/a>, namely a state of low mood and aversion to activity, involving experience of feelings of sadness, helplessness and hopelessness. In the USA, for example, in a year between 13-14 million people experience a depressive disorder [see depression statistics<\/a>]<\/p>\n

Medication is widely available and prescribed for both conditions. Alcohol and other substances may also be used, whether or not they are combined with drugs. Social and other activities may form part of a pattern of alleviating depression.<\/p>\n

Arguably “despair” is a characteristic of both the clinical and mood varieties of depression.<\/p>\n

Catalysts of personal despair<\/h3>\n

It is useful to give focus to the argument here by recognizing some of the contexts which tend to catalyze despair:<\/p>\n