We are now heading down a centuries-long path toward increasing the productivity of our natural capital - the resource systems upon which we depend to live - instead of our human capital.
Paul HawkenRead
Thus, the forces and value systems that are most threatened by this shift are becoming the most coherent and are rising to the top as minority or plurality powers. But they do not represent either the shift, the change, or the future.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote discusses how threatened systems respond to change by organizing themselves, yet they do not embody the future.
In this quote, Paul Hawken reflects on the dynamics of societal change. He observes that groups or systems that feel threatened by evolving values and trends often become more organized and assertive in their responses. Despite their growing clarity and influence, these groups do not represent the new direction of society or the evolving future, emphasizing the tension between established powers and emerging realities.
Themes
ChangeFutureSocietyPowerValues
In practice
Example use cases
During a seminar on societal evolution, this quote can highlight the resistance to change.
More from Paul Hawken
All quotes →Inspiration is not garnered from the litanies of what may befall us; it resides in humanity's willingness to restore, redress, reform, rebuild, recover, reimagine, and reconsider.
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We can no longer prosper by increasing human productivity. The more we try to do, the more poverty we will create.
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At present we are stealing the future, selling it in the present, and calling it gross domestic product.
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How much harm does a company have to do before we question its right to exist?
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We have the capacity to create a remarkably different economy: one that can restore ecosystems and protect the environment while bringing forth innovation, prosperity, meaningful work, and true security.
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