Part II: The Quest for Sustainability: The Need to Tap into Our Desires & Not Our Guilt To Effor
In our previous blog, we introduced the idea that achieving sustainable practices such as the Circular Economy or Provenance/Transparency requires more than corporate compliance or cost/benefit analysis. It requires a global vision which stokes our desires and not our guilt and thereby leads to people’s effortless and, as such, authentic emotional commitment! Our first step is to identify the global human Archetype that drives Sustainability. Here’s where our shared values and common passions reside. Next, our message has to resonate across cultures and borders for which we need a global language. We have one - it’s called Branding. To succeed, Sustainability must be globally branded in one set of images, symbols and stories. Once identified, we must embed them in our educational seminars and management learning programs. What is the Archetype that drives Sustainability? Let’s begin with a question: Why Sustainability?
“Why do human beings pursue this tedious and seemingly quixotic dream?”
The answers may seem obvious: “We are responsible human beings,” “We care about our planet and its people,” “We wish to leave it a better place for our heirs and children”… but such answers beg the question as to “Why” we hold these dispositions and concerns. Finding the answer may lead to a more effortless pathway to our dreams.
Eastern Philosophy can help us here. Taoism speaks of being at authentic purpose confirmed by effortless action of your inner “Tao.” It’s what you feel when you get zoned in a project or sports or reading, when you are so totally engrossed that time and space dissolve. Here, your inner self, your Tao, is effortlessly aligned with your outer persona.
Similarly, nature expresses its Tao through effortless seeding, regeneration and natural recycling... Humans do so by writing wills, endowing academic chairs, giving to charities, etc. and Sustainability! Both sets of behavior reflect a deep desire for immortality, which defines the Caregiver Archetype and its commitment to giving back. We need to tap into this longing and this Archetype and re-frame it with a global brand and, together with global sustainability strategies, communicate these on universally accessible learning platforms. We may then experience effortless, authentic connections and a new pathway to our dreams.
In our next blog, we’ll outline the branding pathway message. Comments Welcomed...Thank you!
