Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, tens of thousands of years ago, humans were separated into tribes. Then a few millennia ago, they clumped together into villages, towns, cities and states. A few centuries before now, large countries developed, and the Americas became conjoined to Europe and Asia. Humanity became one body. There was a renaissance and then an industrial revolution. The body of humanity grew larger and stronger, and everything seemed to be going just fine.
But it kept growing and growing, seemingly with no limit. It soon became a giant, but it wouldn’t stop enlarging. Finally, it started feeling ill about a decade ago. Something is still gravely wrong with it. Now it looks more like a Hobbesian Leviathan than a Hercules.
The mind of this behemoth is troubled. It doesn’t know how to govern its parts well. It is confused about its intoxicating intelligence and the best way to work.
Its heart conflicts with itself, believing in one God here, another there or none, struggling over territory or colour or sexual orientation, stumbling this way and that looking for happiness.
Its body has become too big, bloated, obese. Its colossal size, voracious appetite and excessive excrements are laying waste to the very place it inhabits.
And now, a hundred years since its last terrible sickness, it has become infected again. A new virus has laid it low, adding to its misery. It has been months of fever and lassitude, tossing and turning. Maybe it is past recovery.
But wait, what is this I see? It looks like being bedridden has given the colossus time to stop and reflect. And it seems to have thought deeply and soberly. There is a glint of hope in its eyes. Its energy appears to be returning with the spirit. It turns towards us and exclaims that it has seen the light – “Less is more, less will always be More from now on, a lot MORE”. Then the sickly giant says that:
To clear its mind, it has decided to:
- Tame the effects of its intelligence on the planet
- Cut down on constant movement and overwork to enjoy home and recreation
- Lessen the number of totalitarian states through peaceful means
To calm its heart, it has determined that it will:
- Drop away from institutionalised nationalism and faith
- Rein in personal and corporate ambition
- Worry less about the future or the past and live in the present thankfully
- Extinguish attitudes that hurt the natural diversity of all creatures
To become fit and restore its home to its natural beauty, it has sworn to:
- Stop growing any bigger
- Give away the excess from its fattest parts and distribute it more evenly all over
- Curb its eating, drinking, acquiring and making things that pollute for ages
The behemoth calls it the Threefold Path of Human Lightness:
1. Light Living
2. Light Technology
3. Light Global Free Market Democracy
The Leviathan has seen the light. It is a late awakening, but not too late. The unfortunate creature was heading for a life nasty, brutish and short. Instead, it will be healthy, happy and noble. It will live well and long on its planet, with an airiness of body, spirit and mind.
You and I are parts of this giant waking out of a daze to walk the right path, so this is our awakening too. Let us pledge to live the rest of our lives light, as we come out of lockdown more thoughtful and wise.
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You can (re)visit Post-COVID Actions 1, 2, 3 & 4 at:
Post-COVID Action 1/5: Convert Offices to Apartments Globally
Post-COVID Action 2/5: Morph the Automobile Industry into Public Transport Industry
Post-COVID Action 3/5: Slash Global Travel for Business & Tourism Forever
Post-COVID Action 4/5: Get More Out of Life by Working from Both Home and Workplace
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