Tricky headline. What I mean is, we are shifting rapidly from a consumer-driven, materialistic culture to more of an interdependent, social culture.
In the new emerging world, stuff is no longer important. People and networking with friends, making new friends, sharing ideas and helping others is much more important than accumulating stuff.
We are entering a new paradigm, a new way of trading goods and services, and a new way of living.
The reason Americans are all on antidepressants is because the American Dream led us down the wrong path. Natural life is supposed to be joyous, harmonious, loving, interdependent. We are supposed to be helping each other, sharing, enjoying each other's creativity and never competing (except in the games.) It was never supposed to be about stressful competition, accumulating wealth, bigger houses, longer working hours, killing each other, starting territorial or mineral wars. How misguided we have been.
That's why recovery in the economy may be painful for awhile. We are on the cutting edge of a whole new way of life.
Wealth and power have been our conventional measures of success. What definition will better sustain us now and how can we move into it?
By Anita Doron
The other day, my mother mentioned that she hasn't accomplished anything in her life. (She's a forest and machine engineer who hasn't found a suitable job since immigrating from the Soviet Union 20 years ago) It broke my heart to hear this. We live in a world that makes people value themselves more and more singularly by their career highs and financial prowess.
The conventional model of success has proven to be destructive, separating and pitting us against each other in competition.
What would be a better definition of accomplishment for us and how could we collectively shift toward embracing this? By Anita:http://www.ted.com/profiles/373089
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