World-Changing Words

Self-imposed Limits on Societal Metamorphoses

Ranging from how things are, to the slightest deviation in a process, right through to the most profound societal transformation, language is key. We need it to imagine, communicate, enact and legitimize reality in addition to any changes to that reality. It does this by facilitating the flow of information, shaping perceptions, crafting narratives, empowering individuals, growing solidarity, and validating outcomes.

But language is also emotive and multi-dimensional. It can so easily constrain what can be done, or needs to be achieved, especially in the domains of 2nd- and 3rd-order change. The most vital factors holding us back from switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy, for example, are the propaganda from vested interests in pushing the statue quo, fear of (or opposition to) new technologies, and the fact that virtually every breakthrough is recast and repurposed to fit into the current extractionist world-system. We have even reached a point where common sense is hailed as innovation, while radical originality is deliberately held back. Often that's because the radical idea has nowhere it can comfortably fit in the current schema.

In this essay I intend interrogating the issue of imagination and its limitations within the mainstream lingua franca of civilisational renewal; explicitly a desired ontological shift from industrial materialism to a more spiritual hypothesis of what it actually means to be 'human' in the post-Anthropocene 'more-than-human' era. But first let's examine the function of language in the context of change.

First principles

The claim that the indigenous Inuit people of the Arctic have an exceptionally large number of words to explain 'cold' is a common misconception. While it's true that the Inuit have a nuanced understanding of their environment and use descriptive language to communicate various aspects of it, there isn't a vastly greater number of words for 'cold' in their vocabulary compared to other languages.

Indeed, the idea that they have an unusually large number of words for 'snow' is also a myth. This fallacy likely originated from misinterpretations by strangers concerning the Inuit culture and language.

Languages often do have specialized terms for concepts that are culturally important or relevant. So while the Inuit may have specific terms for different types of snow or cold conditions, similar to how the English have words like blizzard, frost, or chilly, it's not accurate to claim that they have an unusually vast lexicon for these concepts.

On the other hand the Himba tribe in Namibia are known for their rich and nuanced vocabulary when it comes to describing colours, particularly shades of blue and green. The Himba language, like many other languages, reflects the importance of particular concepts in the daily existence and environs of its native speakers. In the case of the Himba, their pastoral lifestyle in the semi-arid regions of Namibia contributes to the significance placed on distinguishing different shades of colours, such as those found in landscapes, the sky, and vegetation.

This cultural emphasis on colour perception and language reflects how different societies may prioritize and categorize sensory experiences differently based on their unique cultural settings. All of which raises a critical point: our language-in-use shapes how we see the world. Actually, beyond substantially increasing our vocabulary, the very structure of the language can mold our thoughts and perceptions, determining what we can do and not do in a very practical sense.

This concept - linguistic relativity - suggests that speakers of different languages perceive, interpret and experience the world differently. Moreover, it's highly probable that different languages create entirely distinct cognitive frameworks. In other words, speakers of differing languages not only perceive and experience the world differently, but also think about colours, spatial relations, and even social concepts in fundamentally different ways.

But if language fundamentally shapes our experiences and perceptions of reality then language must also enable or disable certain categories of activity. For instance, if we cannot possibly imagine a new idea and how it manifests, including what changes might occur as a result of this new idea, then we will not be able to express it in words. And if we can't do that then there's little chance that we will be able to realise that idea in practice.  

It is fascinating how our language can shape even the most axiomatic aspects of our experience, like how we perceive colors, directions, and time. And if you can't imagine something and talk about it, then to all intents and purposes it does not exist.

Not everyone agrees with the theory of linguistic relativity by the way. Some critics argue that thought is largely independent of language. For instance, infants and animals can think and solve problems without using complex language. Then again some concepts appear to be both universal and innate. Deep-seated emotions like happiness, sadness, or fear are understood across all cultures, regardless of differences in language. We can also learn new languages and adapt to new ways of thinking, which suggests that our native language does not strictly confine our thoughts.

New stories

Now, let’s pivot to the impact of linguistic relativity on human utterance. How can language be best used to sculpt fresh stories, particularly authentic narratives or worldviews that make clear our unique sense of 'being' in the world, as well as our relationships with each other, with nature, and with the 'more than human' world?

Expert communicators invariably choose words that evoke explicit feelings and images. The richness of a language’s vocabulary and its grammatical structures open up a world of expressive potential. We tap into this in order to craft compelling narratives, which might be aimed at achieving social cohesion, navigating complexity, seeding innovation, rewarding compliance, persuading customers to purchase a product, or simply making sense of events.

However, attempts to craft new visions and alternative possibilities often fall flat, circumscribed not by the vocabulary so much as cultural alienation and ontological boundaries we assume to be sacrosanct. That is the case with scenarios that seem to verge on being total fantasy, lacking any sense of concrete realism. It's as though something is lost in translation. That is precisely the problem I am having defining and expressing the paradigmatic originality of ecority. Perhaps you can help me...

The notion of ecority - a portmanteau word merging ecology and security (and perhaps integrity) steps outside and beyond previous civilizational ontological frameworks, models which highlight either secular materialism or spiritual mindfulness, in order to transcend both of these. A world of ecority is one in which today's problems are resolved, not just through the wiser use of technology, but through a regenerative world-system comprising economic sufficiency, cultural empathy, and collaborative governance; a world-system where humans assume the responsibility of Earth's stewards set on a path of continuous renewal.

The vocabulary for that world of ecority has yet to be invented. When you learn a new language, you are not just memorizing words and grammar; you are effectively stepping into new epistemologies and new ways of thinking. You unlock new perspectives, seeing the world through one or more different cultural lenses. That is the case here.

Harnessing the essence

Linguistic relativity reminds us that explaining the essence of ecority cannot be achieved by converting words from one paradigm to another, especially if the old paradigm is in a state of decline or collapse. On the contrary it must be about harnessing the truth, the cultural context, and subtle nuances between old and new descriptions of the core assumptions in each worldview.

As we all discover in life's journey some things are easier than others. We can stabilize the climate, cool and regenerate the biosphere within just a few years if we are really serious. It will be difficult, but it's not impossible. The more challenging task will be to reinvent ourselves individually and collectively: relating to and interacting with each other in ways that empathically spring from love. To understand what it means to be human we need to work as a single organism in a world of ecority.

Ecority places interdependence between all living things at its core. It invites us to consciously step away from the locus of individualism – a fundamental sense of each human as a separate entity, and each human collective as being separate from others. Instead, it proposes a default mode of connection; where interdependence is at the forefront of our consciousness. In this world, humans take a position of planetary stewardship. We embrace a responsibility for managing a vibrant civilization grounded in the profound belief that all life is sacrosanct. In this renascence of deep connection and abundance, wealth is integrated into a generative economy of health, security, and wellbeing for all.

Idealistic? Undoubtedly. But the perfection of idealism cannot be permitted to limit our future. It must become the new reality. Ecority is quite possibly the only viable path forward now, at least if our superordinate goal is to do more than just avoid extinction, or escaping to some distant land or planet.

Just in order to survive we must transform our most life-critical environmental, governance, and socio-economic systems into more viable and enduring states. Today's designs have degraded our planet and poisoned our souls to the extent that we can no longer guarantee our survival under their yoke. Beyond that we must transform, and that is now an imperative.

Stepping into ecority

Stepping into ecority requires a metamorphosis of human psychology and conduct. It spirals around a new story of a sustainable, gentle and resilient world, a world in which all life is sacred, a story that inspires and unites people everywhere. A new sense of belonging and community in deep relation to our living planet and in harmony with each other.

The myth that it is in human nature to be competitive is partially true. But we're also innately cooperative. Tensions and fears arising from the need to survive aside, we're gentle, loving, generous social beings that like to work together, play together, and enjoy helping each other. Greed, self-interest, and hubris were injected into our functional contemporary worldview by the structural bedrock of industrial economism, better known as capitalism. But these have been amplified, too, by the growth of destructive, extractive, predatory, and cancerous corporate cultures. Our planet Earth is abundant. It provides us with everything: oxygen, food, water, beauty, life and love. Are we really so unhinged that we would destroy all of that in exchange for more power or money or possessions?

The time has come to call a halt to this insanity before it brings us all down. We do not need to blame others in order to meet for a higher purpose in collective action against the chaos we ourselves have created. We can sort out the mess with billions of minds. We can heal the wounds with billions of hands.

The time has come for us to turn the greed, the trauma, and the madness around so as to create a beautiful future for generations to come. Let's make planetary restoration and civilisational renewal an exciting new way of being, a celebration of life, that great gift all of us have received from simply being born on this Earth.

When communities come together everywhere to engage in local sustainable practices such as food production, ecological restoration, the protection of nature, share stories and resources, our movement for ecority will become a source of hope and enthusiasm, guiding us on a path out of the mess we are in, into that brighter tomorrow.

Overall, language will serve as a powerful tool for initiating, catalyzing, and sustaining that profound shift to ecority. But, much like the language of Gaia, which took so long to gain acceptance by the mainstream, the language of ecority has yet to evolve in ways that communicates such a profound paradigm shift in human norms, needs and responsibilities.

Ecority must become a possibility in our collective mind - a vision that can be expressed in words and then communicated with joyous consciousness. Without that it remains unimaginable: someone's fantasy, out of sight and out of reach.