Activism Today: Learning from the past or looking toward the future?

History is often used as a tool for gaining understanding about the present. In wake of the election and what’s come with it, many are using the past as a warning that we may be moving in a dangerous direction. Articles are being written everyday comparing Trump to Hitler, and many were quick to point out the irony that the Muslim Ban executive order was signed on Holocaust Remembrance Day. Lots on infographics and other posts comparing our political situation to the past have also been circulating, presumably to inspire people to action.

I've been seeing this one float around Facebook

However, I have to question the effect that these comparisons make. While learning from the past is crucial, it does not directly lead to action. This is where prospecting, envisioning, and goal-setting become vital tools.

In my opinion, the most successful activist movement engage in prospecting, envisioning, and goal-setting. The Women’s March on Washington is a great example (critique aside) of a well-organized movement with a clear vision. Their website has a clear set of goals for the future regarding ending violence, reproductive rights, LGBTQIA rights, worker’s rights, civil rights, disability rights, immigrant rights, and environment justice. Furthermore, they have in place a First 100 Days campaign that outlines specific actions to take toward accomplishing those goals.

Prospecting, envisioning, and goal-setting have been integral to building our society. We need to continue to collectively engage in these practices to ensure a more just and sustainable future.

I love this.

Here are some resources with clear vision and goals! I know there are others, but this is what I came up with off of the top of my head. Feel free to comment with other action-oriented resources.

https://www.a2datarescue.com/

https://5calls.org/

https://100daysaction.net/

https://www.womensmarch.com/100/

http://blacklivesmatter.com/getinvolved/

http://www.nodapl.life/

For those who can afford it: take a minute to read this

Learning about hedonistic versus eudemonic happiness in lecture makes us think that there’s an obvious choice: eudemonic happiness is the way to go! It’s longer lasting and will bring you more happiness in the end. It becomes almost too easy to mentally condemn those who focus on hedonistic happiness.

Before I get too far into this – I want to point out: I do agree that we need to shift societal values towards eudemonic paths and that addressing environmental problems (shifting behavior towards more local living/pro-environmental behavior) is a way that we can achieve that goal. But I wanted to address the thing that’s been itching at the back of my mind: there are very valid reasons why someone might not be able to pursue many eudemonic paths.

The fact is, we’re not in that society that fosters eudemonic happiness very well yet. For those people who can afford to invest – time, money, or mental effort – into those paths, it could boil down to that simple choice of eudemonic vs hedonistic. But for many, there isn’t really a choice as it is today. And unfortunately, those are usually the people who can’t afford to look past today.

For example, consider a family of five who hover around the poverty line. The parents might be working two jobs each in order to make ends meet. Even if someone were to come to their neighborhood with a great program, maybe one that teaches gardening to foster self-reliance, they might not have the time to attend the lessons – or they might be so exhausted from working and taking care of their kids, they might not have the mental energy to attend the sessions. It becomes even worse if someone needs to invest money in a class like that, even if it seems relatively cheap. $5 can be the difference between having enough for the electricity bill and the water bill or having to just choose one for the next month.

The kicker is that it’s probably these people who have learned to greatly cherish any time they have with their family or loved ones – to figure out what they really enjoy because they don’t get to enjoy much. It’s probably these people that, if their financial situation were to get better, would end up pursuing eudemonic paths to happiness. But without that comfort and wiggle room, can we blame someone for wanting to default to the path that’s a bit easier how it is today?

I believe we’re at a chicken and the egg sort of impasse: how do we promote pro-environmental and eudemonic interventions in our current society? However, without more support and people adopting these behaviors due to limits from our current society, how do we get our society to change?

What are good tactics you’ve come across to help address these issues? 

Motivation and the Spectrum of Behavior Change

With the start of the new year, there are a lot of people who are attempting to change something about their behavior, whether it’s being more grateful, a new diet, or exercising regularly. Many of these people will fail in their resolutions. According to the Statistic Brain Research Institute, only 9% of Americans actually felt that they were successful with the resolutions they made at the start of the new year.1  

If we look to the material from class, Dr. De Young presented behavior change on a scale. Attitudes, declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge are listed on the labile end of the scale and values, character strengths and world views are on the stable end. According to this breakdown, many of our current approaches to behavior change focus on the labile end of the scale, and have a weak association with “enduring and growing behavior.” In this summary of behavior change, it is difficult to see how one approach may move through these different relationships. However, in thinking about how to move from one end of the spectrum to the other, we may be able to alter or improve our current approaches to incorporate more relationships on the stable end, instead of focusing on incorporating brand new or uncommon approaches.

Motivation is very important for behavior change as well and fits into relationships all along the spectrum. Addressing a person’s motivation for their actions or their desire for behavior change may allow an avenue to move smoothly from one end of the spectrum to the other. Methods like motivational interviewing, a counseling approach used to change behaviors by helping clients examine their motivation for their actions, may be a good place to start.2  While focusing on attitudes, a motivation-based approach can help a person examine how their action fits into their values, and can in the process, possibly even help to change those values.

In the new year, we talk a lot about motivation. Why does it disappear? Often, people start with huge goals and fail quickly. Many sources recommended small changes which could then be built on for larger, values-driven and long-lasting lifestyle changes.  It’s important to start on the labile end of the scale and build up to the stable end, because without those smaller changes, true and lasting change will likely continue to be difficult.3-5

Do you think it’s possible to change behavior by focusing on new approaches to address the “stable” relationships end of the spectrum? Have we already done enough to address relationships in the “labile” end?

1. http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/
2. "Motivational Interviewing: An evidence-based approach to counseling helps patients follow treatment recommendations". American Journal of Nursing. October 2007.
3. http://www.lifehack.org/articles/featured/how-to-stay-motivated.html
4. http://lifehacker.com/5958782/four-strategies-that-build-lasting-motivation-and-how-to-use-them-to-achieve-your-goals
5. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/new-years-resolutions-psychology_us_5862d599e4b0d9a59459654c

The Worth of Fame and Fortune: Celebrities, Happiness, and Consumption

It's easy to think about celebrities in the media as living "the good life." Yet, there wouldn't be stories for major tabloid magazines if famous stars lived perfect, drama-free lives. Indeed, that makes them feel sometimes more or less human to the rest of us. At the same time, a lot of these stories about celebrities tend have roots in unhappiness — addictions, infidelity, disputes over wealth, and mental health concerns are just some of the common tales. Despite vast amounts of wealth and prestige, could it be that celebrities lack true meaning or purpose in their lives?

This example seems like an interesting case of the difference between hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Celebrities are deeply embedded in a world of consumption, wealth, and pleasure-driven fascination. We hear about their multiple vacation homes, party habits, collections of valuable possessions, elaborate trips, and successes in a given industry. We also hear that many of them are not very nice people, lacking the generosity, kindness, and self-awareness we would want and expect in our friends. Some of these celebrities are popular because they are so outrageous and unpredictable. On the other hand, people are often drawn to celebrities described as "humble," "ordinary," or “down-to-earth" because we want to find evidence that they are still dealing with human problems and worries, underneath the layers of fame and fortune. Of course, celebrities come in all types, from actors, to musicians, to philanthropists, to TV hosts and personalities, to politicians, to athletes, to designers, to inventors, to business executives. Additionally, the media is notorious for sensationalizing news to make it more "interesting" and able to sell. So are celebrities really all the same or do some live "better" lives than others?

While I don't know the answer, there are some trends that point to a state of unhappiness among celebrities, resulting from the pursuit of mainly hedonic goals. Many celebrities' fame is the result of others' approval and admiration. They live lives dictated by others, where their primary purpose is to look or act a certain way, or represent a brand as to maintain feeling good. This results in a pressure to be pretty much anyone but themselves, and a life continually in the spotlight is exhausting. To deal with their unhappiness, many stars try to buy their way out. They seek for meaning in empty places, because they can afford it, rather than realizing what they need comes at a much cheaper price. For example, what if celebrities spent more time on their relationships with friends and family, set goals for personal growth, worked for causes that transcended their own fame, and tried to make the world better for the less financially privileged? Some celebrities do, whether it is the nature of their job or a part of who they are as people. It seems like the exception rather than the rule when we hear stars speak out about injustice, get arrested at a protest, or challenge the status quo. I imagine there are few incentives to be better people when many high performing industries are competitive (or cutthroat), status-driven, and time-consuming. These industries are built to motivate people to be the best at something, whether or not they become the best people in the process. This seems especially true for stars who became famous at a young age. Experiencing fame early on can mean less time for personal growth and exploration during critical developmental periods. Too often, these individuals reach a breaking point of questioning who they are. Perhaps they are caught up in a world lacking trust, authenticity, and meaning that is not sustainable or supportive for well-being.

I sometimes wonder what would happen if actors only received a teacher's annual salary, or athletes were not paid by the game, but by their demonstrations of leadership and role-modeling. Or maybe what if celebrities were not paid at all? What if being an entertainer was seen as volunteer time for the public good, rather than something lucrative? We've seen even in the first weeks of class that money only buys happiness up to a point, a point where people can take care of themselves and their basic needs. And "basic needs" really are universal, even though celebrities tell us all the luxury things they have learned to not be able to live without. It is sad to me that many celebrities are paid by industries that don’t seem to care about them as people and only want their image. Celebrities are some of the biggest role-models for younger generations, and this seems like a great opportunity to influence what success, happiness, and living well looks like — separate from the money and fame. We could better appreciate them as complex people and sharing our same goals, and have more examples of the benefits of eudaimonic well-being.

Finally, on MLK Day it is important to remember the celebrity activists who have been long-standing examples of incorporating meaning and purpose into their everyday lives, sometimes because they are fighting for their right to life. The keynote presentation this morning was a good reminder to me of how recently journalists and artists leverage justice and truth to drive their work forward - hopefully these will continue to push others to think critically about their work in other industries as well.

Resources:

• McGregor, I. & B. Little (1998). Personal projects, happiness, and meaning: On doing well and being yourself. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(2): 494-512.    
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/27/pat-obrien-celebrities-happy_n_5717815.html
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/insight-is-2020/201010/celebrities-are-you-really-happy
• http://www.businessinsider.com/does-being-rich-make-you-happy-2013-12

Happiness: What is the Secret Sauce?

I have been reflecting on Ray’s lecture yesterday about the link, or lack thereof, between money and happiness. As a psychology undergrad, yesterday wasn’t the first time I’ve heard about the magic number beyond which money doesn’t matter. It’s a widely cited body of research, complemented by the many, many studies about what actually does increase happiness (think gratitude, meaningful relationships, work-life balance, etc.). Yet, here we are, spending huge amounts of money on graduate degrees, hoping our newly acquired credentials will qualify us for careers that pay us well to do what we care about. I feel this tension particularly strongly as a dual degree student with the business school. My peers are working their butts off to get high-paying jobs, despite the scientific evidence that we will inevitably be unfulfilled if we follow the highest salary. So what gives? Why are we so stubbornly unwilling to acknowledge the evidence against a path to happiness paved with dollar bills? And more importantly, what will it take (or as Ray would say, what are the conditions under which) we will finally wake up and change our behavior? I have a few thoughts based on what we’ve learned in class about why we struggle to change right now:

1. Norms: We live in a society where the norm very clearly establishes money as a proxy for success. In that regard, the normative belief is that others in our lives expect us to make decisions aligned with maximizing income. Suggesting that you are going to forego college to pursue your passion for music, for example, is viewed as risky, irresponsible, even immature behavior rather than brave, thoughtful or reflective of self-knowledge. It is no wonder that we continue to buy into (pun intended) the notion that money equals success.
2. Attentional Fatigue: In the face of such overwhelming social norms, it would take a substantial amount of directed attention for a person to really reflect on their goals and how to get there, not to mention be open to take an “alternative” path. At the same time, we live in an era of infinite stimulus and too many demands on our attention to count. Our culture is one of constant connectedness, demanding that you not only know everything, but also be available at all hours. This does not exactly foster an environment conducive to restoration and reflection.
3. Awareness of Consequences: While we know that the pursuit of wealth does not yield happiness based on research, individuals do not necessarily know this from personal experience. The adverse consequences of prioritizing wealth over happiness are not likely to be felt until much later in life, while we are making decisions about our careers and personal lives right now.

Now that I’ve painted a fairly bleak picture of why we’re doomed to forever fall into the trap of a mindless pursuit of profitability, my question for our class is what do we do next? If we were to design an intervention to encourage ourselves and our peers will reevaluate the paths we’re on, what would it look like? It seems to me that building a community of people willing to challenge the status quo has a lot to do with it. I also think frequent feedback and reinforcement would be an important component of any attempt to shift the norm. What else will it take?

The end of the world is coming... and it is brought to you by Coca-Cola

I have a dear friend that is an engineer like me, but his life-long dream is to become a poet. Or some sort of writer, at least. I can't say he has succeeded but he is definetely good. He usually comes up with clever phrases like the one top (I don't really know if he took it from somewhere... maybe he did) and I find it fascinating. I mean the end of the world is the event to end all events so prospecting it from our consumerist worldview i can't imagine it not having a sponsor. And Coca-Cola sponsors all major events, so why wouldn't they sponsor the biggest one in mankind history? I mean they somehow found the way to sponsor sport events like the Olympics and it doesn't seem to bother us, so probably they will find a way to make the Apocalypsis appealing. And well, for a change, it is an event they helped materialize and not an obvious whitewash.

All jokes aside, even with the world collapse being an unlikely scenario, we do face difficult times. The two most likely scenarios we covered in class, Green Stability and Energy Descent, require a significant paradigm change for us, as a global society. We can't continue living this way. We know it. We all know it. We also know that this materialistic way of living is not significantly "better" for us. And by "we" I don't mean "we, the experts" I mean all of us, as Ray told us in today's lecture.

So what is happening? Are we in a spell casted by the Illuminati and Reptilian lords? Is Coke's main ingredient a mind controller? Are we just dumb?

I understand that a a transition towards a greener global society requires patience and positive emotions and that our role as "experts" is to guide the population but i don't overstimate the power of anger. Anger gave us mankind major political revolutions and structural changes. People should get angry when Coca-Cola sponsors the Olympics, but that doesn't mean that they should go and bomb their local Coca-Cola store. I doesn't even mean that they should stop drinking Coke. They should find a way to channel that anger into something positive.

Today's class was an eye-opener in some ways. The seed of sustainability is already planted in society. Our role is to nurture it with water... and not with Coke.

The Tale of the Woeful Reader: A True Story

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived in the deep, dark forest where the wildcats roamed. Every day, she bounced happily into her wagon so her father could take her to school in the nearby countryside. She loved school, and always tried hard for the sake of trying. She loved learning as much as she could about far-off kingdoms and beasts great and small. Before she was old enough to go to school, she loved it when she would bundle in blankets by the fire and her mother and father would read to her. She simply couldn't wait until she was old enough for school where she would get to read all by herself. For she knew at school there would be a whole library full of books, and whole hours of class devoted to spending time in that library. Oh the anticipation!

Finally the time had come to be at the country school where her library time could begin in earnest. She cursed her fellow little girls and boys for moving so slowly on their way down into the cellar, where the books lived, and bumped into them in her haste as she neared the warm glow of the lanterns on the colorful bookshelves. To her the library was magical, with its winding stacks of knowledge and fantasies, its magnificent maps and paintings on the walls, and wise Mrs. Lockwood, the keeper of the books. The little girl spent hours dwarfed in a too-large chair, learning words she'd never imagined and weaving together elaborate tales of adventure with each page. Mrs. Lockwood even showed her the wonders of the great books of ancient knowledge where she could read about powerful emperors and cities of yore. When the school year ended, she could hardly wait for summer to fly by so she could come back to the library the following year. 

And so it was that the autumn came and the next school year began. But unbeknownst to the little girl, a strange thing was to begin in the library this year. The library contained a market, full of sparkling treasures, that the little girl had always seen but never been allowed inside. This year, on her first visit to the library, Mrs. Lockwood told her that she have special privileges this year in the library. The little girl would get to visit the special market, if she would only continue to read the books she loved and share their stories with Mrs. Lockwood. With each picture book she read and shared, she would be given one silver coin. When she got better at reading and could read bigger chapter books, she would receive a whole gold coin! The little girl couldn't believe it! She could collect coins for the reading she would have done anyway, and use it to buy gifts for her darling mother and father. They worked so hard and were so kind to her--she loved them so, and as she had no brothers or sisters, she wanted to do everything she could to make them happy. She quickly earned several silver coins for her reading, and brought home a golden treasure box, a jeweled necklace, and a wooden game for her mother and father.

But a strange thing happened as the years went on. The little girl got better and better at reading, make no mistake. She earned many gold coins for reading long, difficult books. But she stopped hurrying to the library, and stopped feeling its magic beckon. In her free time after school she began to rush through her books, no matter how captivating the story, so she could move on to doing other things. She found herself even bored while at the library, especially when she was waiting her turn to share a story with Mrs. Lockwood. Her last year at the school, she only bothered to read a few books.

And then the little girl grew up. She still loves tales of adventure and seeking out new knowledge, but she does not look to books for these. Instead reading is the last thing she instinctively wants to do to learn or experience something. She would rather learn and be entertained by talking and working with others, through watching motion pictures, or simply by jumping in and doing things. She has continued to go to school to seek higher learning, and reads a great deal for her increasingly difficult classes. However, she dreads this reading and only reads when a teacher tells her to, with grades and the promise of a degree having replaced Mrs. Lockwood's gold and silver incentives. In fact, in the whole rest of her life combined she has never read as many books as she did in that first year at the country school, before the gold and silver coins entered her life. Since she left the country school, she has only actually finished a handful of books, ever, for the pure enjoyment of it. This makes her sad, because she remembers that little girl who loved books and longed to soak them in over long hours by the fire. However, she is now ruined and has to fight to swallow what she reads. Today, as she writes this tale, she realizes that it must have been the gold and silver coins that spoiled her love for reading. Although Mrs. Lockwood meant no harm, the little girl fell prey to the justification effect, and, without even realizing it, attributed her motivation for reading to the wealth and gifts it brought her from the library market. To this day, without that extrinsic motivation, she finds her motivation for reading as barren as the dark lands she once read about in those fairytales of yore.

Is there any way for that little girl to return and read happily ever after?