False Gods of Change
Our culture has been poorly designed without much intent beyond economic dominance. A dominance without concern for consequence.
While no single entity is necessarily responsible for this condition, many contribute. Consumerism serves as a counterweight of support for our capitalistic, economic and democratic attempt at supremacy. Unfortunately, our mindless over-consumption has pushed the cantilever beyond its limits and is nearing a breaking point. Our culture cannot continue to support this fatal state of imbalance. We have delusions that salvation will triumphantly arrive by way of an elusive, somehow strategically planned road map full of tactical solutions. All of which provide complete allowance for our lavish, consumptive nature. We have placed our trust for salvation in the hands of others. But why would we trust in the likes of technological advancement, our governments, or the world’s corporations?
“Technological advancements change the world, but to what end?”Technological advancements change the world, but to what end? Electric cars, windmill farms, solar panel arrays, and oceanic turbines will help alleviate our dependency on fossil fuels, but our dependence will simply shift. The pendulum of government never ceases to swing. The current U.S. government promised hope and change during the charge for office, but are now faced with prioritizing unexpected, seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Then in another three or seven years, an entirely new administration will take the reigns. And to consider the world’s corporations? Ha!! Executive management focuses on near term profitability for self-serving purposes. And to what end? To climb the golden corporate ladder? So the song remains the same, and the treadmill of progress continues.
These are just blatant examples, and are not intended to assume that all technological advancements, governments, and corporations cannot positively contribute to the culture. But why do we entrust our salvation to others? We have to question our ability, opportunity, or more importantly, responsibility to impact culture at large. Can one influence the rest? Can one individual cause monumental social change to occur?
“Can one individual cause monumental social change to occur?”
The answer is yes. Whether we like it or not! Edward Bernays, the father of Public Relations and nephew of Sigmund Freud, is single-handedly responsible for doubling American Tobacco Corporation’s revenue. All in a days work. In one instance with the flash of a camera, Bernays was able to architect an event that abolished the taboo of women smoking cigarettes by making the act a sign of women’s liberation. (watch video)
Cigarettes became women’s “torches of freedom”. At least this is what Bernays leaked to the press. That headline hit every newspaper in the U.S. in 1929. At that catalytic moment, the condition of the culture began to shift. The understanding or perception of what was good or bad, or taboo changed. All this lead to billions of dollars in revenue for American Tobacco Corporation. All this lead to billions of dollars in health care costs. And much, much more. One man. One idea. One day. It changed a generation and generations to come.
Design is a signal of intent. Consider Bernays’ intent when he took on the American Tobacco Corporation as one of his early clients. His intent was to cause a paradigm shift in the culture at that time; to design a coup that in an instant overthrew a taboo, which in the end was a profitable success. Whether good or bad, it worked. So design is much more than mere visual aesthetic, or decoration. It’s not type selections, material choices, color options, well structured grids, or any other aspect that addresses a superficial, surface level need for arrangement. We’re not playing with crayons. The heart of design is to identify and refine a problem to its core, then devise an exceptional solution.
Architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart make an excellent case for the role of design in Cradle to Cradle, where they address the simple fact that much of design still feeds the wasteful over-consumption that sickens our culture today. McDonough and Braungart present a seemingly straightforward challenge to designers to fully realize the implications of the life cycle of any given consumable. As designers, we have a responsibility to be mindful of the context of our designs. Not only how a given product, publication or business card will be viewed, but how they exist in the larger ecosystem of our culture and our world. And the use of “recyclable” materials just isn’t going to cut it. Being less bad is not good enough. Cradle to Cradle paints a very clear picture that the language surrounding much of the “green” movement only truly supports the idea of less destruction: reduce, avoid, minimize, limit. Being less destructive only prolongs the inevitable. Being less destructive is not a solution. This is not design.
“The use of “recyclable” materials just isn’t going to cut it. Being less bad is not good enough.”As designers, what is our intent? Our goals cannot be to merely sugar coat information, products, buildings, or any other consumable. The proposition is simple. Create a healthy, truly sustainable culture. At the core, a change of heart is all that is truly required. To create a change of heart for the entirety of our collective culture, could be our greatest design challenge. If Bernays was able to devise a shift in the social condition at large and cause the values of the culture to turn on a dime, then we can also influence a turn. A turn that directs the condition of our culture to a healthy, truly sustainable path.
In short, if you’re looking for the world to change, then it’s quite simple. Be the change you want to see. Age and experience do not define us. Our capabilities truly define who we are. Therefore, know not what you will become, rather know where to set your sight. So, to where is your sight set?
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Your article reminded of what poet, Jane Hirshield, says in an interview:
“For me, though, the natural world and the world of ethics and politics are not distinct. If you exploit nature you will exploit people. If you find somehow at the most fundamental level of being that your relationship to other people, other things, other animals, is a relationship of kinship – then you perhaps will behave ethically in the world of people as well. The sense of intimacy, the sense of inclusion in the grammar of “we”-how else can we find compassion not just for what we already approve of, but for what we are troubled by? And without compassion, how will we ever find peace-which is what even those who initiate wars say they are seeking.”
A collective change of heart is most definitely where we must start, but is that not true for all things of this scale? (ie: world peace) I am unsure as to how the idea of a sustainable world is any different than the idea of world peace– but maybe this is what we are asking for.
A saying from a past teacher also rings in my ears, “The equation for great work is most often 1% inspiration, and 99% perspiration.” Even with our hearts aligned, we must all be both consistent and focused to understand how to conduct ourselves to our ideals. Though I believe without that 1%, the rest is meaningless. For me, the real design problem is operating our world businesses collectively and cohesively without the need for competition.
Sustainability in any system means it’s constituents don’t despoil Nature, freely share, and maintain balance between cravings and resources. None of the current industrialized countries come close. Only primitive tribes do.
Two of America’s least sustainable practices are highway construction (nearly $1 trillion/year) from which primarily automotive and Big Oil profits, and weapons production for continuous warfare under the guise of defense (50% of federal revenue) from which mainly financial and insurance companies profit. Both are sacred cows with little effective dissent.
Tobacco used to be a major profiteer; agribusiness joins the above as among the few job creating, value adding, tax producing industries, without which all service industries and government would falter. The problem is really in wealth distribution. Politicians promise CHANGE; don’t buy into rhetoric. America is still capable of offering slow steady IMPROVEMENT, and no one should settle for less.
Improvement like mitigating the estimated (by government agencies) annual $3 trillion in losses to unnecessary warfare, $300 billion in automotive pollution health threats, $200 billion in smoking related illnesses, $150 billion in traffic fatalities and injuries… all of which are avoidable and for which public pays, whether they participate in or protest against. Astronomically large revenues deficits are locked into a corrupt system that invites the worst hazards that only the most advanced technologies would have any hope of impacting, like free energy from the sun for everyone. But as long as financial institutions control campaigns and elections, they will remain “guardians against change”.
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