What is Ours to Do in Troubled Times

Most everyone gets it as soon as they hear the title. Times have always been troubled. Well, right you are. However, as Yossarian so perceptively grasped in Catch-22: Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you. Similarly, just because you’re grateful for a life of abundance doesn’t mean the world around you isn’t falling apart.

Tonight, we will explore just how unprecedented our times really are. And, let me assure you: the current political situation is the just tip of the iceberg; scratching the surface; icing on the cake – okay, you get it.

We will examine our present planetary and cultural circumstances, how we got here, and where we are going. We will face the human dilemma, squarely – the best of times, worst of times paradox; the co-evolution of our troubles and of consciousness; and the between a rock and a hard place scenarios. And then, given the unprecedented nature of our human condition, we will discuss not only the approaches that have been suggested for facilitating awareness, both individually and collectively, but what specific behaviors we can cultivate to navigate the uncharted seas, sanely, morally, ethically, and with the values we hold most dear.

Producer: Carleton Schade

For the past thirty years, I have been researching, teaching, writing and speaking on a variety of topics focused principally on two of the most consequential meta-trends of our times—the ecological-societal polycrisis and human consciousness. My website Radicalmindshift.com and Substack posts offer a perspective on these themes.