Practicing Uncivilize

If you've made it to our website, chances are you're well aware of the crises that confront us and are seeking ways to address them. The sheer magnitude of these challenges and the lack of consensus in public discourse can be daunting. So, we did some research of our own to help ourselves frame the problems and find strategies to confront them. On this page, we'll share a way of understanding the problems and opportunities, and provide a simple strategy to confront our crises that we hopeworks for individuals, businesses, and government. We'll blaze through the doom & gloom by summarizing how we got here, show we’re not stuck by looking at history, and then introduce a new way to look at and confront our challenges.

The Problem with Capitalism

Our Spiritual Crises

When was the last time you truly felt alive? For us, it's those moments money can't buy: feeling humbled by nature, being exposed to the elements, finding fulfillment in lending a hand or gratitude in receiving help, enjoying the company of friends, or the satisfaction of creating or discovering something on your own. So why do we persist in the illusion that happiness can be purchased? And why have we structured our lives around a single job to make money to do so?

This mindset is relatively recent in human history, stemming from Enlightenment concepts that heralded progress as an unstoppable force, viewed nature as an external entity, and divorced the mind from the body. These false notions continue to shape how we think about and measure prosperity today, as the growth of material wealth. Let’s explore how this leads to a sense of alienation, emptiness, and anxiety.

  • The separation of man from nature combined with the belief that humans inherited the earth severed a sacred bond, distancing ‘civilized’ societies from nature, lower civilizations, and women who were considered closer to nature and, consequently, exploitable. This mindset justified land grabs, slavery, colonial endeavors, and deforestation, among other exploitative practices. Similarly, the division of mind from body allowed labor to be treated as a tradable asset, resulting in increasingly unfavorable work conditions.

    The evolution of these practices goes hand in hand with further alienation from ourselves, others, and our environment.

  • The capitalist pursuit of profit has yielded material wealth, but at a cost: As we switched from many jobs and roles to provide for ourselves and our communities to a single job that provides income to buy things we gave up rewarding and meaningful activities. Now our daily grind often boils down to a single job that’s increasingly abstract and under pressure of efficiency thinking. It’s merely a means to obtain our 'necessities', while everything else is commoditized. This trend, started with material goods, it soon extended to roles like caregiving and education, and now encroaches on our friendships, ideas, and attention.

    It's little wonder we yearn for deeper purpose and creativity. When everything becomes a purchasable product, even attention and friendships, it erodes our sense of fulfillment and leaves us feeling empty.

  • Homo economicus measures well-being solely in economic terms. So to live up to its promise to grow prosperity people are incentivized to consume more every year. This establishes a culture of competitive consumption, bolstered by media, advertising, legislation, and government support. This leads to a cycle where individuals strive to maximize income through, education that maximizes you economic potential, increasingly stressful and specialized jobs, to ultimately compete with friends as success is equated with material possessions.

    With our worldwide view we’re exposed to unattainable standards set by influencers and celebrities, as well as problems and challenges far beyond our control, resulting in the stress of grappling with unfixable issues and striving to meet unattainable standards.

Alienation, emptiness, and anxiety have given rise to a range of contemporary afflictions, encompassing financial woes, diminished self-esteem, burnout, eating disorders, attention deficits, and more. This isn’t even taking into account the averse effects of human ‘progress’ on the natural world that result in an entirely new array of mental health issues, such as guilt, climate depression, and the heartache of solastalgia, when the place you know and love changes. Let’s conclude that progress and material wealth are not a measure for health and happiness and that humanity is in a serious spiritual crises.

Fuel to Fire

Our Material Crises

Throughout human history, our access to energy sources and ability to reshape natural resources into tools and products has evolved significantly. Two and a half centuries ago, coal emerged as the powerhouse behind the industrial revolution, reshaping societies worldwide. As the 20th century dawned, oil took the lead, and shaped the idea that energy is cheap and abundant that underpins our global industrial society and technology suites.

  • In our industrial age, we're confronted with a harsh reality: our once abundant energy sources are depleting rapidly. Over half of the Earth's oil reserves have already been tapped, pushing us to reach for harder-to-access reservoirs. Resources like sand, phosphorus, clean air, water, and rare earth metals, once taken for granted, are now becoming scarce. This shift is starkly illustrated by the fact that human-made matter now outweighs all the bio-mass on Earth, a transformation that has occurred just in the last century.

  • Capitalism, driven by cheap labor and energy, propels the rapid conversion of natural resources into products. Throughout this process, we have delved deeper into both planetary and human resources. Fueled by abundant fossil fuels, our global technology suites have evolved into intricate systems supporting various activities, from extraction and manufacturing to trade and transportation. However, in our pursuit of progress, we have ignored the true costs associated with appropriating these resources. Now, these externalized costs manifest as waste, pollution, and the threat of extinction.

  • Our contemporary society leans heavily on interconnected technology systems, intricately woven and predominantly reliant on fossil fuels. These systems sustain the energy-intensive lifestyles of the developed world, perpetuating disparities for the developing world. The complexity of these systems obscures the true impact of our actions. For example, a simple command to a smart speaker to turn off lights sets in motion a global sequence of technology suites, a process that could easily be achieved by flipping a switch manually. Despite the unnoticed magnitude of infrastructure and energy required for such conveniences, our dependence on these tech suites remains profound—WiFi, cellphones, and power are indispensable. It's a reliance that amounts to the equivalent of 400 energy slaves.

    With our worldwide view we’re exposed to unattainable standards set by influencers and celebrities, as well as problems and challenges far beyond our control, resulting in the stress of grappling with unfixable issues and striving to meet unattainable standards.

We've build our civilization on a belief in economic growth. Our technology suites, infrastructure, products, pretty much everything we create is build on a false belief in cheap and abundant energy and natural resources, to sustain that growth. For a long time we’ve managed to ignore the adverse consequences; products that transform into waste instead of integrating into nature's cycles, depletion of natural resources and pollution as a side effect of production. This denial has been a conscious choice to sustain economic growth in order to continue to enhance living standards in the Global North. But as we’ve used up half the planet’s oil reserves and are running out of many natural resources we are challenged to continue down that path. While at the same time we’re confronted with the repercussions of our practices in the form of; climate change, loss of biodiversity, soil depletion, ocean acidification and so on that are forming an undeniable threat to humanity.

We’ve swapped nature as an all inclusive system that produces shelter, building materials, medicine and food for all beings without waste for a global industrial system that turns nature into products exclusively for humans at the cost of all beings and the planet itself. And it doesn’t even make us happy…

Reframing progress

  • In this early phase, property extended only as far as one could carry. Hunter-gatherers were integral parts of their ecosystems, directly consuming and reciprocating with nature. Their impact was minimal, leaving the balance of nature largely undisturbed.

  • With the advent of herding and horticultural societies, energy was invested in domesticating animals and transforming the land. This shift in focus led to the externalization of costs, as it became advantageous to sacrifice nature in favor of personal gains.

  • Agriculture's ascension from subsistence farming to specialized industry brought forth new specializations. This phase witnessed the birth of professions like milling, baking, and water management, further shaping human culture and the built environment.

  • In the modern age, we find ourselves in a global industrial system, defined by mass production and free trade. This phase, is characterized by a global industry that exploits nature's resources.

Let’s revisit the Enlightenment notion of civilization's stages not as a ladder of progress but as a way to illustrate how humanity has advanced through harnessing new energy sources to shape their circumstances, using ever greater energy sources to turn natural resources into man-made artefacts. This makes the energy that a society can access a measure of their potential for progress, and the transformation of natural resources into man-made assets an indicator of how civilized they are. This aligns perfectly with with how our commercial civilization measures prosperity in economic terms.

We grew up celebrating this triumph over nature, but a crucial realization emerges: material progress goes hand in hand with detachment from the natural world. It severs our connection with each other, ourselves, and the very lifeblood sustaining us—the planet. The question arises: How do we forge ahead? Here are some of the pathways that we see currently.

  • Most of our leaders now acknowledge there is a need to act. And many well meaning people are forging plans to be more sustainable and address the many challenges we face. Yet most of these efforts take shape within our current global industrial capitalist system. Applying the same old thinking to the problems it caused. Trying to balance economic growth with addressing the many crises we face. And largely ignoring the spiritual crises we find ourselves in. Plans like green growth…

    As people see their conditions worsen this, populism and nostalgic nationalism take root. Promising a return to a past that never existed in the first place, but under current circumstances is absolutely impossible.

  • Another picture that’s painted for us, mostly by tech billionaires is that of an abundant future where technology solves all our problems. Asteroid mining provides resources that overcome earth’s boundaries, while robots and automation free up leisure time for all and advances in health care allow us to lead longer healthier lives. Let’s acknowledge that we are an incredibly creative and resourceful species and maybe we can pull some of this off. It is a huge gamble as the needed investments accelerate the depletion of resources on this planet, while accelerating the creation of waste and pollution for a bet that will mostly benefit the same tech billionaires. And if things pan out for them it may very well worsen the divide between these new intergalactic billionaires and the people who see their jobs displaced and are forced to live on the depleted wastelands.

    It's little wonder we yearn for deeper purpose and creativity. When everything becomes a purchasable product, even attention and friendships, it erodes our sense of fulfillment and leaves us feeling empty.

  • Opting out of society and crafting personal refuges from climate change may seem like a tempting move, driven by an urge for immediate safety and control. However, it comes with notable drawbacks. The challenges we face require collective action, interconnected solutions, and building individual refuges doesn't quite fit into that big picture. It sort of ignores the fact that we're all in this together. Plus, there's the risk that these personal refuges might inadvertently add to the environmental footprint, and isolating ourselves from broader societal challenges could mean missing out on the real issues at hand. Instead of seeking solace in isolation, tackling climate change calls for a shared commitment to collective action and systemic change on a global scale.

    With our worldwide view we’re exposed to unattainable standards set by influencers and celebrities, as well as problems and challenges far beyond our control, resulting in the stress of grappling with unfixable issues and striving to meet unattainable standards.

We’re not a fan of any of these options. Trying our best generally means looking for solutions within our global industrial capitalist system, trying to compromise between economy and ecology and continue a lifestyle that created the crises we outlined above. Going Galactic is putting our current approach in overdrive, gambling the planet for more growth and material wealth that is likely to aggrevate all the symptoms we outlined. Finally opting out, feels like giving up, it’s deying the wonderful things we learned, the insights we gathered and the ability of people to collaborate and thrive.

There is a future where we gain more than we give up, but we need to look outside the frame of our global commercial society and redefine ‘prosperity’.

Let’s zoom out and consider these other 3 stages of civilization. Not as historic trivia, but as modes of living that come with a distinct technology suite, energy source, toolset, mindset and so on. Throughout history people always applied a mix of these modes, we are the first civilization to suppressed these modes, considering them backward, because we feel our mode is superior. But these modes are still very muchalive, in fact it’s where we often go to find joy and meaning. When we go camping, pick berries in the forest, help out others without expecting to be paid etc.

We can revive these modes in a modern way. The tremendous amounts of energy and resources we burned through did not just result in smartphones for kids to watch netflix in the backseat of the car. It also yielded essential insights into our world from the smallest bacteria, virusses, elements and particles to weather systems and the birth of our galaxy. It allowed us to understand nature at a much deeper level and we’re discovering that some of the old knowledge carried and practiced in these other modes are actually true. Trees do talk, everything turns out to be connected and so on.

So lets embrace these new insights and apply our knowledge and skills not to making more junk but to keep the essentials while slimming down our consumer society and giving up some convenience and comfort. While we apply these modern insights to reviving these other modes, so we gain more truly sustainable and more rewarding ways of living. Below strategies lets us address both crises. Lets look at this proposal in more detail.

1 Rethink Consumer Mode

Rather than measuring our worth by material possessions, let's adopt a mindset of deliberate, conscious consumption. This entails understanding the genuine costs associated with consumer goods. By reevaluating our roles as consumers, we can free ourselves from the trappings of luxury and convenience.

2 Revive Alternative Modes

Exploring new modes of living offers a richer, more sustainable way forward. By relinquishing the role of a mere consumer, we open ourselves to experiences that are authentic, meaningful, and deeply rewarding. This shift fosters genuine connections, revitalizes communities, and restores harmony between humanity, autonomy, and ecology.

Let’s redefine these historic modes not as a ladder towards more civilized but as distinct modes that can exist at the same time and see how these two strategies can prevent our civilization from decline and stabilize society at a level of where material and spiritual wellbeing can be achieved in a way that is sustainable and even restorative.

  • When we participate in a global industry that exploits nature's resources, we become consumers who can order any food we like online to be delivered within minutes. Our role as consumer is strictly separated from our role as producer (our job).

  • By harnessing renewable energy and fostering local industries that produce goods and culture, such as farmer’s markets, we become communities of specialists. We take on a meaningful role within the community to strengthen it with our unique skills.

  • When we use our physical strength and simple tools to shape nature according to our needs, such as tending a vegetable garden, we embrace the role of makers. We cultivate skills and knowledge to become more autarchic and take care of our own.

  • When we gather berries or forage from the land, we embody the spirit of commoners, taking from the commons and reciprocating as part of the interconnected natural world. We realize we’re an integral part of nature and work to restore that bond.

We can address both our spiritual and material crises by realizing alternative practices are readily available to us.

Rethink

Consumer mode

Efficiency, the motif for Consumer mode is efficiency. This motif opposes the other motives and is therefor a blocker. There’s an oxymoron. Efficiency is tightly coupled with scale. The more we produce of something the more effcient we can do so. Meaning we further encourage consumption and force things we don’t need. While if we consumed less it takes the pressure off, and we can replace efficiency (bull shit jobs, stress anxiety, exploitation) with other motifs that you find in the other modes like; community, autonomy and harmony.

The more we consume of something the more efficient we can produce it. But if we consume less the need/possibility for efficiency goes away and we can produce in more human and satisfying ways. Opening up to craft etc. And paving the way for quality vs mass experiences.

Efficiency
Community
Autarchy
Harmony

Efficiency:

After exposing Consumer Mode as inherently unsustainable and detrimental to our physical and mental well-being, as well as the environment, the question arises: How can we liberate ourselves from this mode that so completely defines our lives? Where do we start?

Let's begin by acknowledging that the monumental amounts of energy that were poured into science and technological innovation propelled scientific and technological progress, gifting us with invaluable knowledge and groundbreaking inventions. Let’s safeguard and nurture this reservoir of wisdom, channeling talent and resources away from market-driven ventures and towards vital pursuits that enrich our lives. This shift entails redirecting funds that subsidize the global industrial economy, such as fossil subsidies, towards endeavors that address our pressing crises.

For consumers, the journey starts with discernment. Distinguish between what genuinely enhances our lives and what is driven by mere comfort, convenience, trendiness, or radical monopolies, leading to isolation, disconnection, feelings of inadequacy and dependence. Much like the Amish, let us meticulously identify the elements that truly foster well-being and equality. As consumers, we exercise our influence through financial choices, opting out of needless purchases, and through activism, challenging advertising, lobbying, and unethical practices.

  • What do I really need. Describe how you can understand and what you can do.

  • Don’t just work for money, find purpose in what you do. If you’re in a BS job work on an exit strategy. When you cut down on consumption and competition do you even need the BS job. Can you do something else to find purpose?

  • Stop comparing yourself with others and stop expecting things should always get better, every year should be more. Start questioning faith in progress and growth. Focus on the things you have. Not what influencers and advertisement say you need. Stop looking at problems that are too big to solve, focus on what you can influence.

  • Inform yourself and understand that this is not inevitable, in fact it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense and it doesn’t make us happy while causing lots of negative effect. WHAT ARE THINGS WE WANT TO KEEP AND HOW DO WE MAKE THEM LAST, WHAT DO WE SPEND OUR ENERGY AND RESOURCES ON AS A GLOBAL SOCIETY

  • Discernment is our first tool. It's about distinguishing between genuine needs and superficial desires. By understanding the true costs and consequences of our purchases, we can begin to make more mindful choices. WHAT DO WE SPEND OUR MONEY ON AS INDIVIDUALS

  • IN WORK, CONSUMPTION, MEDIA ETC. CONSUME LESS AND BETTER THINGS

  • Embracing a mindful, intentional approach to consumption involves redirecting resources towards endeavors that enrich our lives. This may entail reevaluating where we invest our time, energy, and finances. VOTE WITH YOUR WALLET, HOW DO WE TAKE ACTION AGAINST NEGATIVE FORCES

Switch to better. Things you understand, things you recognize, things you can repair, things that last (not fashion)

Realize this is not the inevitable outcome of progress.

Realize there are alternatives to our current mode of civilization.

Understand that luxury and convenience don’t improve quality of life.

Know that you don’t personally have to solve these crises, focus on what you can do, things you can control so you feel empowered.

Understand and be aware of how you can have an impact on the graceful decline.

Revive

Alternative modes

These modes exist into today. They can be applied as a mix. And they can be interpreted through a modern lens. Lets embrace the investments we have made BUT now start applying our human capital, investments and knowledge to rethinking these modes in stead of growing material wealth.
This flips the model the least civilized civilizations become teachers, beakons of hope and wisdom. The job-roles that are highly rewarded in our economic system become meaningless while care etc, become rewarded.

By abandoning our role as consumers, where we passively acquire things that make life more convenient, without grasping the consequences of these purchases on wealth distribution, inequality, self-sufficiency, personal fulfillment, freedom, and the environment, we abandon the comforts we have grown accustomed to and taken for granted. This ‘giving up’ is the focal point of the current discourse surrounding the numerous crises we confront. It’s all about what we stand to lose, However, these other modes reveal the potential gains; experiences that are genuine, meaningful, and deeply rewarding, fostering connections and authenticity.

As you shift away, with each step you get a better sense of true cost, connection to others and nature. You start living a more natural life, with the seasons, natural rhythms, within a sustainable footprint, enjoying the simple meaningful connections, gentle activities, human scale experiences, problems and challenges you can deal with.

As a Contributor

In the Specialist Mode, we dive deep into the practice of rebuilding local economies and meaningful specializations. By honing essential skills and contributing to our communities, we find satisfaction and pride in our roles. As we transition into this mode, we free ourselves from the confines of unsatisfying jobs and rediscover the value of hands-on, purposeful work.

OUR TEACHERS ARE COMMUNITIES
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OUR ECONOMY IS LOCAL
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OUR TECH IS INTERMEDIATE TECH
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OUR MINDSET IS xxx
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OUR JOB IS CONTRIBUTING

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  • In the world of specialists, every skill is valued. From traditional crafts to modern-day expertise, we recognize the significance of each specialization in contributing to the well-being of our communities.

  • By redirecting our efforts towards local industries and economies, we create a resilient foundation. This shift not only fosters self-sufficiency but also reduces our reliance on globalized, resource-intensive systems.

  • As specialists, we play pivotal roles in our communities. We become the go-to individuals for essential services, building stronger connections and fostering a sense of pride in our contributions.

  • Item description

As a Maker

Sometimes you’re struck with the beauty of the imperfect, the quaint, maybe in a place you visit on holidays where the pace is slower, the houses older and clearly lovingly crafted with primitive tools and cared for by generations. The building fits it’s surroundings and it’s inhabitants. It shows traces of the tools and the hands that build it, the well-worn paths, repairs and alterations, and is more beautiful for it.

Novel, flawlessly manufactured products may briefly captivate, yet they lack the profound connection that resonates with our core humanity. Conversely, creations born from your hands—a pie infused with love, a backyard vegetable garden, a DIY endeavor, a piece of furniture, or a thoughtfully prepared meal—all forge that connection.

These endeavors instill a sense of accomplishment, honoring the knowledge and skill invested in the process. By growing your skills and knowledge you not only gain independence, you also cultivate a profound understanding of the things surrounding you. In contrast to anonymous consumer goods where the origins, materials, production processes, and impact remain veiled, you know exactly what you’re dealing with and how to nurture and sustain it.

OUR TEACHERS ARE MAKERS
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OUR ECONOMY IS HOUSEHOLD
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OUR TECH IS LOW TECH
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OUR MINDSET IS CARING
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OUR JOB IS PROVIDING

We are skilled at many things to take care of ourselves and our surroundings

  • Creating something with our own hands is an inherently fulfilling experience. It reconnects us with the essence of craftsmanship, allowing us to take pride in our creations.

  • Handmade goods carry a unique energy and authenticity. By valuing what we make, we break free from the cycle of disposable consumerism and cultivate a deeper appreciation for craftsmanship.

  • Through making, we become less reliant on global supply chains and industrial processes. We reclaim a level of autonomy over our lives, knowing that we can create what we need.

As a regenerator

Imagine waking up early, the swell is great, you’re paddling out (you magically learned to surf) on your board and glide down a wave, feeling the wind, the waves and a deep connection with the ocean and the life it sustains.

Experiences like this imprint a deep appreciation for the world and a connection to all living things. And you don’t need to learn to surf; picking berries in the forest, taking magic mushrooms, swimming in open water, hiking in the mountains will give you the same appreciation, a feeling of being alive, in awe with the majesty of nature, humbled by it’s intelligence.

And then as get in your car to go home you’re confronted with the impact humanity has, on how much we have taken, how far you need to drive to immerse yourself in pristine nature. Awakening a desire to protect and restore and rethink how we can apply that same intelligence in our daily lives and practices.

OUR TEACHER IS NATURE
For knowledge we learn from people who live in harmony with nature and from nature itself

OUR ECONOMY IS ECOLOGY
There is no market, only a reciprocal relation with the original provider

OUR TECH IS BIOLOGY
We work with nature and apply nature’s wisdom, materials, strategies and chemistry

OUR MINDSET IS HUMBLE
We realize we are part of nature and respect that we may not understand everything about it

  • Venture out and immerse yourself in nature's embrace. Cultivate an acute awareness of your dependence and connection. Harmonize your life with natural rhythms and cycles.

  • Strive to restore balance, introducing nature into artificial landscapes, participating in the reclamation and rewilding of spaces. This ensures nature's sustained support for all life, allowing us to continuously immerse ourselves in its magnificence.

  • Modernity often leans toward nihilism, demanding scientific proof for validity. However, as our methods advance, we uncover the factual basis behind nature's mythical wonders and need to admit that nature’s intricate intelligence surpasses our understanding.
    Let’s be humble and learn from nature and how we to apply it’s many gifts without upsetting the natural balance. Like ants who outweigh humans in biomass, who have spread all over the globe and like us have highways, skyscrapers with air-conditioning and nurseries, build in tune with nature, giving as much as they take.

Build your Uncivilize Practice

Getting started

Personal statement that through this project we started to get excited about all sorts of new opportunities and started identifying areas we care about and where we want to make changes. You can do this by drawing inspiration from these alternative modes and see what fits.

As we consider these alternative modes, it's essential to remember that they are not mutually exclusive. Instead, they offer a spectrum of possibilities, inviting us to explore and adapt based on our unique circumstances and values. The transition is not about immediate, drastic change, but rather a gradual, intentional shift towards modes that resonate with our innate connection to the natural world.

  • In embracing these modes, we rediscover our innate connection to the natural world. We move away from a consumer-centric existence and towards a way of life that honors reciprocity, sustainability, and well-being.

  • The journey towards embracing alternative modes is not about overnight transformation. It's about taking small, intentional steps towards modes that align with our values and aspirations.

  • These modes offer a spectrum of possibilities, allowing us to find a balance that works for us. Whether we gravitate towards one mode or explore a combination, the key is to embark on this journey with open hearts and minds.

  • Ultimately, the path forward involves a thoughtful blend of these modes, creating a sustainable mix that prioritizes the well-being of all. By reimagining how we live, work, and interact with the environment, we pave the way towards a more balanced, meaningful existence.

  • Whether as individuals, businesses, or governments, we all hold the power to enact change. By embracing alternative modes, we contribute to a collective shift towards a more sustainable future.

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