Doubly so is the case with replacing capitalism with something better.
That’s why I’m deliberate and slow in my implementation: haste is not an ally.
While frustration over how long it’s taking the RBE, UBI, Copiosis or any other idea to overtake capitalism, there are positive signs everywhere progress is being made.
More importantly, you must remember two important realities:
1. People recognize the stress that comes with trading their lives for money but it’s so subtle, they don’t acknowledge it until it’s brought up.
I talked with a social worker here in the states the other day. He says that is the number one cause of stress in modern society. He says he sees it in all his patients. He says this stress is a major cause of most “diseases”.
Yet, hardly anyone acknowledges that trading life for money is stressful.
Perhaps that’s because it runs so deeply within our behavior, society and social expectations it just disappears into the background.
Like water to fish: we don’t recognize we’re swimming in stress.
Peter Joseph, The Zeitgeist Movement founder, has exhaustively categorized in his work how badly modern society is on humanity. As far as I’m concerned, “modern society” IS: trading life for money.
It is number one on the list of silent killers.
2. The other reality about the work is this (and this may seem counterintuitive): very few people are seeking or even aware there might be a solution to the stress caused by trading life for money.
But when you bring it up, in the right way (i.e. not as an attack or condemnation), nearly everyone will agree with you that it would be nice to have an alternative.
These two points represent great advantages.
Steve Jobs once rebuked someone who tried to tell him he needed a marketing plan to sell people his computers. His response was essentially “people don’t know what they want until you tell them.”
You first have to make people aware of something better is available.
And you better have a thick skin. Especially when it comes to capitalism, and American’s distorted idea that “capitalism”, “America” and “Democracy” are synonymous.
So making people aware of a solution is the biggest task. But you have to do it in a way that is accessible to people.
EVERY DAY PEOPLE. Like conservatives. And religious people.
Not people in niches like the RBE, Atheism or groups who believe Science has all the answers.
So, for example, if people are spending all their time on social media, rather than us complaining about that, that is where we have to bring the information. If they are wanting only 10 seconds of engagement because their attention spans have shrunk or they just don’t trust us yet, then we have to get creative and provide them 10 seconds of engagement, over and over….until they trust us enough to give us more time.
I was talking with some experts as I plan implementation of the new Copiosis approach. They say expecting people immediately dive into Copiosis, eagerly spend the hours needed to fully appreciate it, then give me money to make it happen is like meeting a girl through a dating app and before I even meet her asking her to get married and have children!
We have to go slow and take it easy on people.
We have to build trust.
We have to meet them where they are and not condemn them for being there.
That is our work: Having a humble spirit, while maintaining a strong posture.
That takes deliberateness. And compassion. And a willingness to take as long as it takes.
“Slow” is a competitive advantage.
So is the fact that deep down, everyone knows it sucks to give up life for money.
And the longer it takes us, the more warmed up “society” gets to being willing to try an alternative.
Even if they’ve never heard of it before.