The Call
Practical philosophy for radical progressive change through incremental personal action.
In Western ideology we think of ourselves as isolated individuals. Me-me-me. What do I want? What is best for me? How can I get ahead? How do I get what they/she/he has? How can I make the most money? This underpins pretty much every aspect of our society. It warps our perspective of the world and drives decision-making that optimizes for the few, the “in group”, that subscribes to our particular circle of influence.
Locally, this might not be such a big deal. I’m just one person, right? My decisions don’t necessary matter all that much… except they do. Society is defined by emergent patterns; individual habits accumulating into macro forces. To think of yourself as isolated is a fallacy, because you influence everyone around you in unforeseen ways. When you choose not to recycle a bit of plastic, to litter, to make an unsustainable choice at the grocery store, to not wear a mask in public during a pandemic, another human will see that and think to themselves… well that person is doing it, I guess I can too. Round and round we go.
This mentality/ideology is the basis for the situation we find ourselves in today:
- The world is burning
- Our oceans are acidifying
- More people are in poverty than ever before in history
- The social safety net is constantly on the verge of collapsing
- There are literal garbage islands (multiple!) in the Pacific Ocean, slowly disintegrating and being absorbed by the wildlife that we desperately require to maintain biodiversity and ultimate provide a food source
- Most people in college today will never be able to afford a home if they choose to buy one
However, I believe that this isn’t our ideal state and the road that reaches toward ideal infinity starts with a choice:
Will I only think of myself when I make decisions, or will I think of the whole (INCLUDING myself)?
I identify this choice as “The Call”. A call to be better, a call to internalize that every human is equal and deserves to exist exactly the way they are, a call to consider the flora and fauna of this planet as if we were their parents protecting our children, and finally, a call to build a safer, healthy, verdant, rich* world for our descendants.
If we make the simple choice to seek and apply solutions that benefit the whole, and ourselves by transitive property being part of the whole, instead of only the self… it unlocks an entire universe of possibility.
We know what the world looks like when we don’t heed The Call.
And when we do.
There are a million million decisions to be made. Traumas upon the Earth to be undone. People around the world to uplift through shared resources, technology, and medicine. It feels insurmountable until you realize that we are solving these problems together. Not isolated individuals — individuals of a compassionate, ethical, whole.
This Call transcends borders. It knows no geographies. No languages. No colors. No races. No genders.
It is a dream that we must share together, cultivate through hard work, look to the future to aid the present. Shared belief literally changes the fabric of reality through action, and as a unified people seeking relentless improvement for all, we will remake our civilization. It all starts with you making the personal choice to heed The Call.
So, what can you do to start?
A great place to begin is to consider what topics really deeply interest you and figure out if there are any unpleasant edges that can be improved for the enjoyment of everyone involved. Everything from applied economics to your local government to “your favorite wildlife spot that might have some litter” are all fair game for betterment.
Where do you spend your money? Do you know much about the companies you patronize? Are they a force for progress, or more of the same? Are there other companies you can order from online or locally that support ecological cleanup, important charitable work, living wages for their employees? While we live under a system of oligarchal capitalism the only real votes you have are your currency and your political elections. Remember, micro choices lead to macro effects. Your decisions matter.
No contribution is too small. It’s about making incremental, positive changes that are felt by all. The Call is a marathon for all humans, not a sprint.
*Richness is I believe a relative concept. There is room for personal advancement and growth while also providing a safe, comfortable environment for all to live their lives. A modest reinvestment of the American “defense” spending for example could utterly eliminate child hunger, homelessness, the cost of higher education, baseline healthcare, and more. Rising tides lift all boats.
I’ll write more on this in the future, this is just the beginning.
I’d love to hear and see the changes you want to see made in the world. Draw, paint, imagine, speak, share what piece of the world you find beautiful and want to preserve and enrich through this philosophy!
