I wonder if the concept of realistic sanctuary can be applied to Human Resources, human capital management. What do you think?

First, I am not teaching about calmness. I’m raising it as an issue that is becoming a matter of public health concern and worsening mental health statistics.

Second, one has to work with reality. It doesn’t make sense to say that anyone who did teach about calmness wouldn’t acknowledge the fact of global panic. It’s there in the reports of clinical psychologists, in the daily workings of the stock market, in the sales of Big Pharma (anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications sales are through the roof). In fact, the “anxious time” I refer to is a logical outcome of an economy whose markets play on the psychology of abundance, scarcity and desire, and are creating worsening environmental conditions. (Come to think of it, Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk, spoke last November of the global panic, and wrote that there was a danger that many would succumb to the fear of the impact of global climate change before its full effects were felt. I think that this venerable monk, unlike me, actually does have something to teach about calmness.)

To your second point, I’m a marketing guy, at least sometimes. Which would explain why I might sound like one. Good luck.

JJ–Keeping as much of our humanity as possible in the midst of whatever comes is our challenge, I think; thank you for articulating that so well.

Olivier–I agree there’s lots of room for designers and technologists to help us cultivate calmness. It’s a question of method, and also of what we do with the calmness we develop. A sense of what makes us human and humane would be a terrific start to any exploration of how interactive technologies could help. Any tips on where to begin?

Thx for your calming insights. It’s good to know that there’s someone thinking broadly about the effects that accelerated change is having (and will have) on both the individual and social psyche–and reminds us of how we might mitigate mass panic and chaos by cultivating our capacity to calmly and intelligently face our fears and the realities that are feeding them. we may not be able to change much about the future we face, but as you point out, whatever that is, it will require both hardheaded thinking and immense compassion if our species is to survive with our humanity intact. and what would be the point of surviving without it?

keep up the good work.

JJ