Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)
question
Denial and Population
Cary
Dec 17, 2014 10:14AM
This book is a treasure for anyone interested in growing as a responsible individual, true to both self and reality, but where does population fit into all this?
In my view, the most obvious cases of cognitive dissonance are climate change deniers as they watch Arctic ice and glaciers melt and classical economists who don’t recognize the limits to Earth’s resources. But the most egregious and dangerous dissonance must reside in the minds of those who imply that the Earth can support its projected population with a reasonable standard of living.
Such denial is a trap easily sprung, for there seem to be no workable solutions. How do we reach a sustainable consensus to stabilize all human populations? How do we curb our appetites or revise the mantra that growth and fossil fuels are necessary?
We can preserve resources for the future and protect the precious diversity of life on Earth. The tasks seem overwhelming, but to allow ourselves to sink into despair or denial is to become part of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The difficult way out is quite clear: we simply can’t have our cake and eat it too. Understanding self-justification and cognitive dissonance is a good first step out of the trap. (from my review on Goodreads--Cary Neeper
In my view, the most obvious cases of cognitive dissonance are climate change deniers as they watch Arctic ice and glaciers melt and classical economists who don’t recognize the limits to Earth’s resources. But the most egregious and dangerous dissonance must reside in the minds of those who imply that the Earth can support its projected population with a reasonable standard of living.
Such denial is a trap easily sprung, for there seem to be no workable solutions. How do we reach a sustainable consensus to stabilize all human populations? How do we curb our appetites or revise the mantra that growth and fossil fuels are necessary?
We can preserve resources for the future and protect the precious diversity of life on Earth. The tasks seem overwhelming, but to allow ourselves to sink into despair or denial is to become part of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The difficult way out is quite clear: we simply can’t have our cake and eat it too. Understanding self-justification and cognitive dissonance is a good first step out of the trap. (from my review on Goodreads--Cary Neeper
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It's a book I wish I could've read decades ago. It really helps the reader understand how the mind works, and why our brains are more like lawyers than scientists.
