We thought we were the only thinking beings in the universe, until we met you, but never did we dream that thought could arise from the lonely animals who cannot dream each other's dreams
Orson Scott CardRead
The steep ride up the and down the energy curve is the most abnormal thing that has ever happened in human history. Most of human history is a no-growth situation. Our culture is built on growth and that phase of human history is almost over and we are not prepared for it. Our biggest problem is not the end of our resources. That will be gradual. Our biggest problem is a cultural problem. We don't know how to cope with it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the unsustainable nature of societal growth and the cultural challenges we face as we approach a plateau in resource availability.
M. King Hubbert's quote highlights the historical context of human growth, emphasizing that our current cultural framework relies heavily on continuous growth, which is now reaching a limit. It warns that as we confront the decline in growth, our society is ill-equipped to adapt to this change, leading to a profound cultural crisis rather than a simple resource shortage.
Themes
GrowthCultureResourcesChangeCrisis
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about sustainable development, you can use this quote to emphasize the cultural implications of resource limitations.
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