Every civilization is characterized by their access to energy and how they use it to turn nature into stuff.
Throughout history, every society has developed its own ways of harnessing the sun’s energy to transform natural resources into man made stuff.
These methods of using energy and resources have evolved over time. In the past 250 years, however, this evolution has accelerated dramaticly, when we discoved fossil fuels (concentrated solar energy stored over millions of years) and industrialized production. But as matter on our planet is fixed, material gain comes at a loss of natural resources.
Today, we’re beginning to see the full impact of this approach. Not only are we depleting resources faster than they can regenerate, but we’re also left with waste from industrial production and an often-overlooked consequence: our disconnection from nature, from each other, and from ourselves. This disconnection both fuels and sustains our current system.
↓ Let’s dig a little deeper.
Modern industrial society generates only a fraction of genuine wellbeing per unit of energy—arguably making it the least civilized.
Modern industrial society is still deeply shaped by Enlightenment ideals, not only in its separation of mind and body or of humanity and nature—ideas that justified the exploitation of labor and resources—but in its focus on economic growth as the sole indicator of progress. This mindset, rooted in material measurement, mistakes growth and productivity for true well-being, leading many to see modern society as the height of human achievement.
Yet, if we look beyond this metric, a different story unfolds. Our wealth is overwhelmingly defined by luxury and convenience, while the immeasurable qualities that drive genuine well-being—like love, purpose, and connection—are left out of the equation. Worse, what we call prosperity often leads to “diseases of affluence,” as lifestyles driven by excess undermine both physical and mental health.
The hidden costs of this system are now impossible to ignore: climate change, resource depletion, biodiversity loss, and frequent environmental crises reflect the waste and imbalance we’ve created. In converting nature into disposable goods, far from reaching the pinnacle of civilization, modern industrial society reveals its place at the bottom of the heap.
↓ So what are our options?
As we let go of luxury and convenience, there’s a silver lining, we may regain some of the things that make life worth living.
At uncivilize we’re far from satisfied with the options on the table. From tech billionaires looking to shift resource exploitation off-planet, to preppers and others using their priviledged position to opt out, to “green growth” advocates hoping to sustain current lifestyles by just “doing less harm”—these paths miss the core issue.
Degrowth has the right idea, but focuses on what we need to give up. Yet in moving away from excessive luxury and convenience, we stand to gain something far more meaningful: true connections with others, a renewed relationship with nature, and a grounded sense of purpose. It’s not about reducing consumption but about rediscovering resilience, building communities, and reclaiming the joy of hands-on, meaningful work.
Consider something as simple as drinking water. Human ingenuity has taken us from drinking directly from natural sources to digging wells and public tap water systems. But industry continues to push further, maximizing transactions and profit through smart cashless vending machines, with electronic advertising, selling bottled water flown in from Fiji. This drive to add layers of convenience and profit has led to a point where not just the consumer pays a premium, but society pays for social and environmental costs. What began as a basic human need has been transformed into a high-cost, low-value commodity, adding negative value in its overengineered form.
Returning to simple, local solutions like tap water offers an immediate boost to wellbeing: we engage actively, reduce dependence on industries, and limit commercial influence. Better yet, by building sustainable local water systems, collecting rainwater, or even restoring natural sources, we become more connected to the essentials, free from unnecessary industry, and more aware of what truly sustains us.
↓ Cool, how do we do this?
Uncivilize proposes a discerning use of the industrial mode, while stimulating alternative modes, for genuine wellbeing with low impact.
We’re not calling for a return to the past, but rather a recognition that human societies have never discarded their previous ways of living—instead, they’ve adapted and evolved by layering new modes on top. Today, global industry dominates, not because it works best, but because it generates the most measurable economic value and fuels endless growth.
Yet, alternative modes still exist in plain sight: in hobbies like gardening and pottery, in lifestyles like off-grid living and homesteading, and in cultures like the Amish or indigenous groups like the Hadza. What if we reframed these modes through a modern lens, combining their time-tested wisdom with new solutions to today’s challenges?
We've identified four modes that shape the way we live: Consumer mode is the current global system, rooted in mass production, high consumption, and GDP-driven growth. Farmer mode echoes sustainable, community-oriented practices from agricultural societies, where local food production and resource management take center stage. Gardener mode, inspired by self-sufficient horticulturalists and herders, values smaller-scale, hands-on living, focused on regeneration and sustainability. Finally, Forager mode reconnects us with nature, mirroring hunter-gatherer societies’ focus on ecological restoration and direct interaction with the land.
What would happen if we critically examined our lives in Consumer mode, stepping outside the industrial frame to ask: which aspects genuinely enhance well-being, and which are unnecessarily harmful? Could we live differently—perhaps in Farmer mode, where local solutions and self-sufficiency shape our world? Or Gardener mode, where we embrace resourcefulness and nurturing practices? Or even Forager mode, where we restore nature itself?
By combining insights from these alternative modes, we open the door to a future where we thrive within our ecological limits, balancing technology with sustainability, and reconnecting with the world in a way that prioritizes well-being over growth. Let’s explore these possibilities through a modern lens, discovering how we can rebuild a more resilient, fulfilling life for all.
The Uncivilize method lets you see modern industrial society from a new perspective—revealing the hidden costs of high-tech solutions and how they can impact well-being. Explore alternative approaches that are simpler, more sustainable, and ultimately more fulfilling.