The gap between what we say we want, and the way we behave, is such rich territory. We get in our own way – we make excuses for our perceived failures, blame others, or assume too much responsibility. Our internal stories are one of the ways we do this. The stories we tell ourselves about the climate emergency often come back to three strong themes.
Working with coach and psychotherapist Linda Aspey, and drawing on our collective experience of coaching and running workshops for climate leaders and activists, our recent article in Coaching Perspectives (the journal of the Association for Coaching) looks at these three archetypes.
Story One: The truth is unbearable
This story is a form of denial and we hear it expressed in a range of thoughts, emotions and behaviours:
If it’s as bad as they say, it is unbearable. I can’t think about it and live my life/do what I have to do. I know it’s not as bad as they say. "Things whose existence is not morally possible cannot exist." Primo Levi.
The person believes ‘it is that bad’ and feels and expresses strong negative emotions such as grief, anger, sadness and shame. They may fear that these emotions will get in the way of day-to-day life, glimpsing the ‘unbearability’ yet ploughing on. ‘The tension between what’s possible now and what’s needed, may distract me from what I’m doing [to solve the problem] day to day.’ (Sustainability professional, survey response.)
The ‘unbearability’ may mean turning away. 'Anyone else feel like packing it in and going to the pub?' (as said by a sustainability professional in a social media conversation).
When a carbon-footprint or analytical tool shows things to be ‘bad’, the person may respond by critiquing the tool. ‘If I were convinced that what we are doing now really is unsustainable, I’d think differently.’ (Sustainability professional, survey response)
Story Two: I am only one
This story is a form of the passive bystander effect: in a situation where many people could act, individuals wait for someone else to act first – they subsume their personal responsibility in the collective responsibility of the group. It reveals itself in a number of thoughts and self-justifications:
I’m just one person. It’s just one flight. The plane would have flown anyway. Everyone else is flying.
I am one person. I’m alone in this, so we don’t have a hope of solving the problem, and my contribution to trying to solve it is pointless or unnecessary.
I have no choice but to be ‘bad’. I’m normal, and society gives me no real choices.
‘[Our company] is avoiding having this conversation – we haven’t put it on the agenda – we know individually that it’s right, but we are avoiding discussing it.’ (As said by a sustainability professional).
‘I’d like to eat less meat, but my partner won’t eat anything unless it has meat in it, so there’s no point in cooking something different for me.’ (From a conversation at a climate activist gathering).
Story Three: Still I am one
This story can seem helpful in promoting action. However, it can still get in the way of thinking clearly about the responsibility they assume for fixing the world and may result in burnout. It focuses on the power of one individual to effect change and reveals itself in thoughts or statements such as:
The fact that I am just one person is not a reason to not play my part.
Look at Greta Thunberg! If I knew I could make one change – even if small to start with – I’d make a difference and feel a lot better.
‘It will be a miracle if we pull it off. But it is still worth trying.’ (Sustainability professional, survey response).
‘For me sustainability is a “life mission”. I do it in the context of a job so as to pay my bills. The job and the organisation in which I do that job, in any conventional sense, mean nothing to me.’ (Sustainability professional, survey response).
You can read the full article here and find out more about Coaching Perspectives journal here.
Making the Path by Walking
This piece was published in my Making the Path by Walking newsletter, November 2020. To subscribe, scroll right down.
Article here.