During a discussion with some colleagues, I asserted that systems based on control fueled by brutality, injustice or fear are brittle and can’t be sustained. There is something in the human spirit that will either fight, subvert or completely give up when confronted with harsh controls. None of these reactions bode well for long-term success.
However, systems that are based on freedom and fueled by inspiration, fairness and mutual respect are durable and resilient. I believe this deeply and have seen it play out throughout my brief life … in the micro and macro contexts. I also believe that most people know basically how they should treat other people (as they would want to be treated). So why are there so many instances of people mistreating each other so horribly? It is as if we can’t help ourselves — we consistently fall short. When we attempt to address the issue, most people focus on fixing their behavior to simply avoid its negative consequences. They are not interested in pursuing fundamental change, which is far more difficult and demanding. Unfortunately, anything less than fundamental change is not durable.
So, how does one fundamentally change their behavior? It may sound corny, but the only way I have been able to sustain positive change is through a loving relationship. For example, when I deeply care for someone and know they truly care for me, when they ask me to change an unproductive habit or hurtful behavior, I am much more likely to accommodate and make a fundamental change.
Any real sustained change is fueled by my desire to draw closer to that person, not to simply avoid an unfortunate consequence. This is why I get concerned when individuals in the sustainability movement utilize scare tactics, fear or humiliation in an attempt to change people’s behavior. In the same way, if people focus on the devastation caused by earth’s rising temperatures, droughts, wildfires or rising sea levels rather than adjusting our fundamental relationship with our environment, lasting, durable change will always elude us.
The built environment will never remedy human nature, but lasting change can be catalyzed through compelling design — not through another calculation, extraordinary technology, or scientific predictions of our impending doom. These are certainly needed on occasion, but the only way to change our fundamental relationship to the planet is by designing and preserving environments we continually fall in love with. Making spaces that make it easier for us to align our passions and desires with our perceived duties — by providing opportunities to explore life’s possibilities within a meaningful, inspiring and beautiful context.