Re-engineering Cultures to Create a Sustainable Civilization

Abstract

At the heart of how humans live their lives are the cultures they are part of. These cultures—and the norms, stories, rituals, values, symbols, and traditions that they incorporate—guide nearly all of our choices, from what we eat and how we raise our children to how we work, move, play, and celebrate. Unfortunately, consumerism—a cultural pattern that was nurtured by a nexus of business and government leaders over the past few centuries—has now spread around the globe, becoming the dominant paradigm across most cultures. More people are defining themselves first and foremost through how they consume and are striving to own or use ever more stuff, whether in fashion, food, travel, electronics, or countless other products and services.¹