What does a politics of "being" look like? My guest on this episode, Thomas Legrand, spent the last 10 years researching and writing on this vision of humanity's future —a future that seems almost inevitable given the unsustainability of our faltering social, economic, and ecological systems. A shift from serving the "gods" of endless economic growth, ecological exploitation, and social disconnection seems pressing. What if, instead, we focused on cultivating human potential and well-being? How would that change our happiness? How would creating inner change affect our outer systems? Is this at all practical?
This episode dives into these very deep and important issues in a down-to-earth and accessible way.
Thomas Legrand is a sustainability consultant for UN agencies, private companies, and NGOs in the areas of forest conservation, climate change, sustainable finance, and organizational transformation. He holds a Ph.D. in (Ecological) Economics with a background in international development, political science, and management. Thomas' book, The Politics of Being: Wisdom and Science for a New Development Paradigm, is a significant contribution to a vision of a new political future and has been praised by a diverse range of leaders across the globe. Thomas is a longtime wisdom seeker and currently lives with his family near Plum Village, monastery of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in the South West of France.
In this episode, we cover:
-The "Story of Separation" versus "The Story of Inter-Being."
-Our society's allegiance to never-ending economic growth and why this is not sustainable.
-Policies and behaviors that support values directly tied to happiness.
-The shift from focusing on "Being" to "Having" and whether one must "have" to "be."
-Building in compassion, mindfulness, love, interconnectivity, and other values of "being" into political policy.
-How science works in tandem with spirituality to foster a new paradigm.
-The importance of relationships in human flourishing (individually and collectively).
-The role of awareness and shared (i.e., collective) awareness in shifting systems.
-How Thomas is bringing "being" into organizations like the U.N.
-Why we can't change people's minds through top-down control, but rather through trust and deep listening.
-Concrete and practical policy recommendations that support a politics of being.
-And much more!
Grab a copy of Thomas' book, "The Politics of Being": https://politicsofbeing.com/get-the-book/
More on Thomas' work: https://politicsofbeing.com/
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fDLulScqJ_8
Let's connect:
Website: https://matthewgoodmanphd.com
Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd
Consulting: https://ccg-group.eu/
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~May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease and joy. May you be free of suffering~
