Care and cooperation are key to happiness, and even survival: Korten

‘Humanity has been acting like a willful child, demanding everything and leaving messes everywhere. It is time for our species to take the step to maturity, to acknowledge that care and cooperation are key to happiness—and even survival’

David C. Korten.

The current political chaos in the United States is a product of the failure of our economic system to fulfill the promise of the American dream: That each new generation will enjoy abundance beyond that of their parents. What most people experience instead is increasing insecurity and declining opportunity.

People know something is badly wrong. Uncertain as to what or why, they are desperate for answers. Who is responsible? What can we do?

Our current situation is ripe for the blame game. Blame immigrants. Blame Obama. Or blame scofflaw bankers.

Years ago when I was a business school student, our professors taught us that a recurring problem is a symptom of a system failure. Don’t focus on treating the symptom, they told us, step back and look upstream to identify the source. A lack of jobs, desperate immigrants, and even scofflaw bankers are symptoms of a much deeper problem.

Read the thoughts of David C. Korten - “Time to Grow Up Into a Living Earth Economy.”