Greed
Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need but not for every man’s greed.
Gandhi (Posthumously published in 1958)
Given the
woes
Offers one in a long line of examples of our woes.
that seem to be facing humanity at present: climate change, species depletion, ocean and atmospheric pollution, degradation of the earth - and their consequences - it is hard not to see them as interconnected problems with an obvious common source. The cause can only be humanity, and specifically the human psyche. What is it about us that makes us so destructive? The recent conversation between Vervaeke, McGilchrist and Schmachtenberger similarly identified this mental source, taking as their title: The Psychological Drivers of the Metacrisis. They are all able thinkers who became somewhat diverted by free floating and dis-articulated
abstractions.
Abstractions are vital to understanding, but ensuring their articulation is hard.
Gandhi gives us a firmer start to such discussions, especially if we add one word -
power.
The importance of power to our relationships with others.
Neither greed without power, nor power without greed, appear to entail the destruction we are witnessing. Taken in this way what is psychological power? And if we understood power more thoroughly might we be in a better position to hobble our
greed,
The term ‘Metacrisis’ is now used for problems identified half a century ago.
and constrain that power.
According to Wikipedia, the earliest record of this famous Gandhi quote was by Pyarelal Nayyar in Mahatma Gandhi: The Last Phase (Volume 10), page 552. I can find no other reference as clear as that one. More examples of Gandhi’s writings are available at https://www.mkgandhi.org/trusteeship/chap01.htm John Vervaeke, Iain McGilchrist and Daniel Schmachtenberger entitled their conversation: The Psychological Drivers of the Metacrisis: and what possible responses might look like. It is available on the internet.
The photograph of the Gandhi memorial was taken in London in 1997. Normally my photos are adjusted for colour balance and density only, uniquely, this photo is flipped horizontally - so if you know the sculpture it may look odd. It was made by Fredda Brilliant and unveiled in 1968 at the centre of Tavistock Square in London, to mark the impending centenary of Gandhi’s birth in 1869. Mahatma Gandhi had studied law at University College London nearby from 1888 to 1891.
Above, hovering on blue introduces a link: click to go, move away to stay.
Saturday 3rd February 2024
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