Psychological Roots of the Climate Crisis: Neoliberal Exceptionalism and the Culture of Uncare

by Sally Weintrobe

Psychological Roots of the Climate Crisis tells the story of a fundamental fight between a caring and an uncaring imagination. It helps us to recognise the uncaring imagination in politics, in culture - for example in the writings of Ayn Rand - and also in ourselves.Sally Weintrobe argues that achieving the shift to greater care requires us to stop colluding with Exceptionalism, the rigid psychological mindset largely responsible for the climate crisis. People in this mindset believe that they are entitled to have the lion's share and that they can 'rearrange' reality with magical omnipotent thinking whenever reality limits these felt entitlements.While this book's subject is grim, its tone is reflective, ironic, light and at times humorous. It is free of jargon, and full of examples from history, culture, literature, poetry, everyday life and the author's experience as a psychoanalyst, and a professional life that has been dedicated to helping people to face difficult truths.

Genres: Climate Change, Nonfiction, Psychology, Environment, Sustainability, Psychoanalysis

401 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 8, 2021

About the author

Sally Weintrobe, a practising psychoanalyst, is a Fellow of the British Psychoanalytical Society, an original member of the Climate Psychology Alliance and she Chairs the International Psychoanalytic Association’s Climate Committee.

Reviews

[Mary Gooding-Call · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extraordinary- this is a love letter to the earth and mental health. Every page of this work should be savored as it warms the heart, and gives rise to hope. I’m forever changed as a result of this experience. This is the kind of book that changes lives if we let it. Powerful stuff

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book answers a fundamental question for me: why are world leaders, CEOs and so many others rushing headlong into the climate crisis? By clearly explaining the personality and behaviour of those that deny/ignore climate change, it gives me a more effective framework within which to operate and clearer understanding of something that has puzzled me for years. Built on much research and thought, the book has a heady mix of humour and fact. Clearly laid out, it is a joy to read and makes a troubling subject more accessible and manageable. This book should be on the top of everyone's reading list right now

[Brenda Greene · Rating 1 out of 5]

An overlong, repetitive contemplation on different ways of thinking about the economy in relation to the self and group think and why caring about others matters.

According to Sally it all went wrong in the USA post WWI when economists posited theories that wealthy capitalists in power saw as an opportunity to justify gaining more power/money.

None of these so called economic theories holds up to Sally's psycho analysis nor do predicted and observed outcomes match.

Exceptionalism, entitlement, omnipotence are all psychological drivers of greed, providing justification for guilt free action. If intentions are good, however, then outcomes could be good. And around another circle we go.

Really, who knows? Predicting the future based on economic theory of neo liberalism and human behaviour with its roots in psychology is surely a coin flip at best.

With the benefit of hindsight, Sally recounts examples of where things go bad (or good). Half the book is of situations that have absolutely no direct relation to the climate crisis at all. Many of these situations can easily be more simply explained by other factors.

There is no doubt that Sally cares for the earth and for people and has researched a lot of so called psycho social and economic theories.

So now what? Don't vote for the Trumps of the world? Get them into therapy? Deal with our own grief about the reality of the end of days?

[Leandro Caniglia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished "Psychological Roots of the Climate Crisis: Neoliberal Exceptionalism and the Culture of Uncare (Psychoanalytic Horizons)" by Sally Weintrobe. The reason for reading this book was the need that has been growing inside me to see whether I can bear the enormity of the terminal crises that are converging over most forms of life on earth. Or, more exactly, to listen to someone who might bring consolation before I fall into despair. I knew about the book in a Youtube recording of one of the many Zoom sessions organized around specialists in different aspects of the emergency and there was Sally reading a fragment of her new book that caught my full attention. Fortunately for me, the fragment was a good representative of her work. It exposed the basic elements of the human psyche that play before data that is hard to process. The book explains why some people reject the idea of elucidating the truth in favor of feeling safe and exempt of harm unlike everyone else alien to them. The Neoliberal ideology builds on this mental mechanisms reinforcing believes that contradict scientific conclusions. More importantly, those of us who are not indoctrinated into that ideology, are guided to recognize lights of the same feelings modeled by other emotions that associate with empathy and care, which allows us to accept our fate without surrender to powers that disproportionately exceed our possibilities. This admirable work is extremely well documented, with plenty of bibliographic references that support all of the insights it provides. The footnotes add context or detail to many reflections and the text is clear, absent from technical jargon, yet accurate and logic. We have to read more books like this one. Societies and technology have evolved too quickly for humans to adapt, to make sense of so many stimuli: networks, videos, podcasts, theories, courses, music, recipes, debates, shows, injustice, violence, war, jokes, science, technology, news, obscurantism. Our education has had no time to adjust, we are equipped with the same tools we had 40 years ago, and the world has changed dramatically, is much more complex and chaotic. Too many things to read, too many things to listen, too many to watch. No major institution has been able to accommodate to new realities: health (especially mental), universities, economy, politics, family, all seem obsolete, unable to cope. Too many reasons for confusion, too few clues for understanding, overwhelming urgencies to be humane. The book is like an oasis, it invites us to reflect, creating a space appropriate for thinking over

[Sara Bellum · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a slog.

I've got two graduate degrees in psychology, and I am no stranger to dense, dry reads. Weintrobe has an interesting premise, and the first half of the book provides some much needed information to make her case.

Then, she lost me. I felt like there were several chapters that became filler and didn't add much, and then her postulations grew wearisome to read. I think if this book were more concise, it would be great. As is, it was an exhausting read. I'd recommend finding a few solid articles or a well-researched podcast to get the same information.

[Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

An astonishingly relevant text that identifies "exceptionalism" as the mindset most responsible for our climate breakdown. Weintrobe presents her argument through the lens of her decades-long career as a mental health provider, brilliantly exploring her argument from a place of care and concern for all involved.

[Anna Gunstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were definitely great moments of articulating elements of climate denialism and disavowal, and it was very engaging. However, I struggle with psychoanalytical approaches to societal problems, and I’m not sure if this is a prejudice or a valid critique.

[Ilana Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://harvardpolitics.com/psycholog...

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be required reading for anyone who doesn’t understand the link between speciesism and the death of the planet. And then there should be an exam. And if you fail, you don’t get on the ark.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of this is very good but devolves into wishful thinking and fantasy about what’s ahead. A more radical approach is what’s needed.

[Anna Facciola · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good. it really all boils down to caring about each other!

[john · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating! Sally Weintrobe argues that achieving the shift to "greater care" requires us to stop colluding with Exceptionalism, the rigid psychological mindset largely responsible for the climate crisis. People in this mindset believe that they are entitled to have the lion's share and that they can change reality whenever reality limits these felt entitlements. A grim subject, but intereting take and insights into why we are where we are, and reasons for lack of progress to solve them.

[Tina Beattie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book as an important study of the ways in which neoliberal politics and corporate culture shape our individual psyches and make us collude in a sense of exceptionalism that can act to exonerate us from taking personal responsibility or action in relation to the climate crisis.

It's a challenging and also inspiring read.