Podcast: John Sharry and the Psychology of Collapse

YOU WILL NEED TO GO TO DOOMSTEAD DINER TO HEAR THE PODCAST. I CAN’T SEEM TO IMBED IT ON THE SITE

Off the microphones of John Sharry, RE & Monsta

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Aired on the Doomstead Diner on February 1, 2014

Discuss at the Podcast Table inside the Diner

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I recently ran across a great article from another of the FEASTA crew of Theoretical Physicists delving into Collapse Topics, John Sharry.

John wrote the article Hope in the Face of Disaster – Creating a sustainable, viable, future path for civilisation , which explores the psychological underpinnings and attachments we have to the Progress Meme, as well as proposing means and method to deal with the oncoming storm in a constructive paradigm.

In closing his article, John writes the following

Building a Community of support

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.
– Margaret Mead

In my work as a mental health professional rarely do people overcome big personal problems on their own. It is usually in the context of support from family, friends or even a professional that people turn their lives around.

While there is a myriad of future challenges facing humanity that are already beginning to impact, the future still is unpredictable and open to choice. While few people yet take the long term view and see the direction towards which we are heading, it is incumbent on those who are aware to prepare and act now. If we do survive and continue to live purposely it will be down to our personal and collective choices. While we don’t know what exact questions will be asked of us in the future, let alone begin to fully answer them, we can build resilience and a state of preparedness for whatever future challenges are to come. If we strive now to honestly face the reality of our predicament, set meaningful goals that bind us together and take constructive action, then we can build a future worth living for.

Such are the Goals and Purpose of the SUN Project also, and it is always a great experience to find others of Like Mind who see these problems and are attempting to address them constructively.  I highly recommend listening to this podcast with John Sharry if you are concerned with the direction of Collapse and your own ability to deal with it and make the changes necessary for survival.

About John Sharry

John Sharry trained as a scientist, social worker and psychotherapist. He is Director of the Parents Plus Charity and a weekly columnist for The Irish Times. He is the author of ten books in counseling and mental health including three best-selling positive psychology books and seven popular self-help books for parents and families. His writing has been translated into eight languages including Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and Arabic. He is particularly interested in how a psychological perspective is crucial in understanding how people will respond to the current peak oil/climate change crises. His website is http://www.solutiontalk.ie. He lives in Dublin.