Congrats on the new substack!! And thank you for starting this dialogue!
I love this definitive naming. It resonated with me so much even bringing up memories as far as childhood, not just at the big news things happening around the world but the societal norms and structures. It’s a question I often ask myself… “How is this normal?!”
I find myself observing the world’s latest normal with instead of screaming with shock WTF in my head which I was still doing in my twenties… rather its my shock and surprised has numbed to a gentle whisper of reminder to “the world is upside down.” This transformation in reaction has granted me clarity to ask and focus on, how can I create my smaller ecosystem of normal that works for me? How can I (and my smaller ecosystem I can create) exist in this upside down world? Then actively make the choice. Quietly.
The thing about living like this I’ve experienced is there is a lot of rejection and discomfort even if not proclaimed in the norm of activism, the action itself speaks so loud. When we’ve refused to conform into the normal there’s a lot of avoidance in being in the ecosystem you create for yourself.
It’s constant work like an internal homestead of cycles of growth… but in my experience its worth it.
Thanks for sharing Michele! Resonates that this collective condition is felt differently - for some a scream and for others a quiet hum. And often both.
It connects me to something Charles Eisenstein writes in his book The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible. His observation that crises are now arriving in such rapid succession that we don't have time to collectively process and restabilize from one before the next one lands. The social immune system, if we can call it that, never completes its response. We're perpetually mid-recovery.
What your term Norm Shock adds feels like the normative dimension. It's not just that we're overwhelmed by events. It's that the basic agreements about what reality is, what's acceptable, what we can count on, are being eroded faster than we can register the loss. Shock is the right word because shock is what happens when the body can't integrate what just occurred. Norm shock is what happens when culture can't.
Thank you for these reflections, Arthur. “Social immune system”…really good analogy. And yes, you’ve perfectly captured my intent with the term norm shock - social systems x nervous systems.
This really connects with me Komal. Nadia's story really resonated. I agree, the only way out of this is together and in community. Reminding ourselves we individually can't and aren't supposed to solve these global problems, but we can help our neighbours in need. I wrote a post about the Monkeysphere recently and it makes me think of that too. Finding a closer circle, holding onto that and keep our brains more focused on change we can effect.
Congrats on the new substack!! And thank you for starting this dialogue!
I love this definitive naming. It resonated with me so much even bringing up memories as far as childhood, not just at the big news things happening around the world but the societal norms and structures. It’s a question I often ask myself… “How is this normal?!”
I find myself observing the world’s latest normal with instead of screaming with shock WTF in my head which I was still doing in my twenties… rather its my shock and surprised has numbed to a gentle whisper of reminder to “the world is upside down.” This transformation in reaction has granted me clarity to ask and focus on, how can I create my smaller ecosystem of normal that works for me? How can I (and my smaller ecosystem I can create) exist in this upside down world? Then actively make the choice. Quietly.
The thing about living like this I’ve experienced is there is a lot of rejection and discomfort even if not proclaimed in the norm of activism, the action itself speaks so loud. When we’ve refused to conform into the normal there’s a lot of avoidance in being in the ecosystem you create for yourself.
It’s constant work like an internal homestead of cycles of growth… but in my experience its worth it.
Thanks for sharing Michele! Resonates that this collective condition is felt differently - for some a scream and for others a quiet hum. And often both.
Thank you for this, Komal!
It connects me to something Charles Eisenstein writes in his book The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible. His observation that crises are now arriving in such rapid succession that we don't have time to collectively process and restabilize from one before the next one lands. The social immune system, if we can call it that, never completes its response. We're perpetually mid-recovery.
What your term Norm Shock adds feels like the normative dimension. It's not just that we're overwhelmed by events. It's that the basic agreements about what reality is, what's acceptable, what we can count on, are being eroded faster than we can register the loss. Shock is the right word because shock is what happens when the body can't integrate what just occurred. Norm shock is what happens when culture can't.
Good to see you here on the 'Stack :)
Thank you for these reflections, Arthur. “Social immune system”…really good analogy. And yes, you’ve perfectly captured my intent with the term norm shock - social systems x nervous systems.
This really connects with me Komal. Nadia's story really resonated. I agree, the only way out of this is together and in community. Reminding ourselves we individually can't and aren't supposed to solve these global problems, but we can help our neighbours in need. I wrote a post about the Monkeysphere recently and it makes me think of that too. Finding a closer circle, holding onto that and keep our brains more focused on change we can effect.
Thanks for sharing
Thank for you sharing and will look for your post re: the Monkeysphere!
Hi Komal, I was in your breakout room and wanted to say hi here.