"Convincing"
In the picture above is a hole manifesting in one of the two linen shirts I live with. I live with 10 items of clothing, so I wear each one of them very often. I could repair this hole, but there is something so charming about it. It shows that it's ok to wear ageing and old clothes. Moreover, I don't think I become a worse human being when I wear this shirt. I'm still the same person.
Recently, my partner and I talked about degrowth with some students at Copenhagen university. These past weeks in general I have received wonderful gifts from the universe: I taught in a PhD course in Finland (online to avoid flying) and met excellent students at Copenhagen uni. It was such a joy to teach and to be present with the students. They are brilliant. I loved their projects, questions and comments.
One thing, among so many, that we talked about with the students at Copenhagen uni was convincing fellow humans that degrowth is necessary and thus a different mode of relating with the world is necessary too. I've been thinking about this for many years as a PhD student myself and then as a researcher and a teacher. Over the years, I came to the realisation that I don't want to convince anyone. I can and should offer the knowledge that I have. But more importantly, I think it's important to listen, to ask questions, to understand why fellow humans are on their current paths and why they think the way they do. It's important to share one's own story and offer one's own reasons. For me it has felt essential to share my own practices and challenges and joy that come with living this kind of life. Some would probably call it leading by example, but I'm not sure I like the word leading. I can gently offer my example while recognising that everyone is different and everyone's circumstances are different. I believe that fellow humans can take inspiration from my lifestyle (or any other more sustainable lifestyle), but inspiration cannot and should not be forced upon anyone.