Sound bites.
The sound bites are a super condensed version of the Primer. All the bites below are contractions of paragraphs and pages from the book.
Positive human capacity is our greatest renewable resource.
If we do not believe in a "higher or divine purpose in life," we need to invent our own reason for being here. A higher purpose could be to help bring about the uplift of humanity to exist within the boundaries of the natural world. We all have enormous positive potentials for uplifting our own spirits and for those around us.
A belief that our lives have meaning and purpose contributes greatly to the idea of paradigm shift.
Paradigm shift is not only about the environment. Its just as much about personal and society uplift for bringing out the best in positive human capacity.
Economics
Our society will not reach sustainability, peace, justice and social uplift as long as capitalism and its consumer culture defines our society's values, goals and way of life.
Social engineering - advertising/the consumer culture degrades our own potentials and diminishes our sense of personal accountability for what we buy and consume.
Addressing the economic mal practice of capitalism addresses many social, political, economic and eco logical problems all at the same time.
The very fact that thousands of products and services known to damage public health and the environment are easy to buy and even promoted, is proof that the economic system values money more than the well being of people and planet.
Many of today's most challenging & expensive social and eco logical problems are totally avoidable. But they are very profitable. That's why we have them.
Capitalism and the consumer culture cannot survive without externalizing the cost of production, use and disposal of what we buy and consume.
Externalizing the cost amounts to a many trillions of dollars subsidy to American lifestyle, affluence, convenience and global reach. The planet and public well being pay the price.
Enormous external costs subsidize excess incomes so Americans can afford to buy oversized products.
Capitalism is not broken. The social, economic, environmental, political and spiritual damage it causes is just what it does.
Be The Change
We empower our advocacy for paradigm shift when we visibly live the change - our lifestyles, homes, transportation, food choices, how we prioritize our own time and money.
Paradigm shift will take a lot of participation. Consumers becoming citizens is the invite and entry to participation.
Reducing our eco logical footprints and building uplifted civic culture are two of the most important action items for paradigm shift.
Paradigm shift is not a utopia in the distant future, its about common sense in the here and now.
We can pay for a significant amount of paradigm shift, from home scale to nation, simply by how we prioritize our own time and money. Investing in paradigm shift instead of vanity, excess, self indulgence. When we prioritize our time and money for paradigm shift, we shift our own identity from consumer to citizen at the same time.
Purposefully reducing eco footprints leads to a wide range of social, economic, political, environmental and even spiritual benefits.
Many positive actions for paradigm shift can take place at the personal and home scale with no permission needed.
Untold numbers of people all over the world are already creating paradigm shift in their own lives.
We will all need to learn new social and practical skills for a successful paradigm shift.
There is a sweet spot where comfort, security and well being can exist within the boundaries of the natural world and provides the security and well being for positive human potential to manifest.
Civic Culture
There is no need for a big tech break through for a healthy society and future. The greatest break through needed for a healthy and sustainable future is our own consciousness in the here and now.
Permaculture and the wisdom of the world's great spiritual traditions – their personal, environmental and ethical ideals are powerful points of departure for lifestyles, actions and collaborations on behalf of sustainability, uplift and paradigm shift.
A significant amount of paradigm shift can manifest in our own lives and homes, with families, friends and neighbors as soon as we choose to prioritize our own time and money and take action.
There are many allies and assets to work with for paradigm shift in almost any city or town. Community orgs, faith groups, labor, schools, neighborhood associations, ad hoc groups, people next door and down the street.
Capitalism and the consumer culture have provided us with an immense variety of tools and opportunities to assist paradigm shift.
To A Wider Audience - An Enormous Movement That Already Exists
At the core, every progressive public interest organization exists to repair some kind of damage caused by capitalism and its consumer culture. Recognizing a shared identity among thousands of organization can steeply empower and fortify all involved.
We have a mass movement in waiting. Paradigm shift can receive an historic boost when many thousands of people and progressive organizations already working to create a better world, openly agree we are a movement, we have common cause and our goal is to replace capitalism and the consumer culture with healthy alternatives.
These organizations can reach out to their members and the wider world with consistent messaging that explains why and how society can move towards sustainability and uplift whether they choose to use the term "paradigm shift" or not.
Paradigm shift is grass roots and starts in our own lifestyles, at home and the neighborhood. No permission required. More initiatives can connect with each other to enlarge the scale of transformation.
Paradigm shift ideas may look way out on the edge for many at present but current social, economic, and environmental trends will validate all these ideals and visions about paradigm shift. We will either make the changes needed or wish we had.
Engaging capitalism in a public truth and reconciliation process is a completely appropriate action to benefit people and planet.
A fair public assessment of capitalism - a truth and reconciliation process - can become a powerful boost forward for humanity moving towards sustainability and uplift.
We create our own pathway for paradigm shift but shared ideals, values and goals are essential to advance a successful movement.
A society and economic system based on common sense will look brilliant compared to what we have now.
Contact Jan Donate to the Primer