RE: On Dead Man's Clothes & Coffee Cups, and Alternative Economies as Climate Action

[looftee]

I remember reading seth godins thoughts about gift culture.

A few centuries ago, gifts used to be something people of influence and wealth used to give other people(people who had less). To share what they have. So that other's can grow and pay it forward.

If I have enough, and I give you seeds, you will have enough and you will pay it forward. And that's how things worked. And people thrived.

Now, gifts has changed meaning. People who feel important enough, measure their sense of importance with how many and how much worth of gifts they get. Especially social media influencers.(and as you have clearly shown, you are different from that culture).

Abundance comes from sharing and giving, not receiving.

The corportate culture focus on taking as much as they can, cut costs, pay less to employees.

Whereas there are some people who believe in sharing, and giving even the smallest of things they have, without ever expecting anything in return.

I may not be much focused/concerned about environmental crisis. Maybe the place where I live has enough greenery and trees that I don't think it is a concern.

But my parents taught me to only buy and spend on things that you definitely need. Even if you have more than enough money. And if you have more, pay a little bit forward. Share🙂

Thanks for sharing good thoughts🙂

Comments

[riverflows]

Thanks so much. Yes, I was listening to the audio version of 'Braiding Sweatgrass' and she has a lovely chapter on what gifts should mean and did mean, and how they are different now. It's why I've always been so resentful of Christmas - it wasn't that I was forced to GIVE gifts, but that the giving was dependent on how much you spent and people telling you what to buy! And the incredible amount of waste and expense.

Abundance comes from sharing and giving, not receiving.

That is sooo true. I do hope that people like you and me can do what we can to change the culture!

I may not be much focused/concerned about environmental crisis. Maybe the place where I live has enough greenery and trees that I don't think it is a concern.

We never do care until it happens to us! But if we look at the entire world - the deforestation in rainforest, the lack of fish in the oceans, natural disasters etc - we are part of that bigger picture too, every one of us. I remember the president of the Maldives crying that the west needed to be accountable for the fact that his country is disappearing under the sea.

Thanks for your beautiful comment!

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