As the Arabs say, Trust in God, but tie your camel. Thank you, Jamie, for the characteristically vibrant, incisive, and thought-provoking picture of our very own camel run amok.
Ecclesiastes reminds us that “to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” When the world feels chaotic or accelerated, Scripture calls us to trust God’s perfect timing rather than despair at human events. As believers, we are to pray for our leaders and the welfare of our nation, seek peace, and act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. The Bible reminds us that true security and hope are not found in politics, economies, or nations, but in Christ alone, who reigns over all. So even when history seems to spin faster than we can follow, we hold steady, anchored in faith, steadfast in love, and confident that God’s purposes will stand.
In parallel accounts in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus predicts the destruction of the physical temple, stating that "not one stone here will be left upon another; every one will be thrown down".
But, all these folks displaced by automation, mechanization, and AI aren't out of work—they can easily get all the new jobs created by AI—better jobs! That will help generate more goods and services that we Americans want and so desperately need to consume more of. No UBI needed. We'll even get more efficient at drilling and strip mining for all the raw materials the perpetual scheme requires to keep costs down! Oh, don't worry about nature, we'll leave a few parks and the birds will be fine. #MAGA #abundance
I do wonder, though, how many people recognize the underpinnings and the broad systems perspective of the "human progress" narrative. There are a lot of great people doing great work, but based on the direction things are heading at a national/global level, it seems there aren't enough yet. Playing the infinite game seems more relevant than ever. As you said, time's running out.
Really appreciate your thoughtfulness here as always Jamie. I am curious what you think of the geopolitical impact of all this on the relationship between Canada and the US in particular.
And then in general, do you think there is a way that we can play through the chaos?
If we've lost all time, is it then a time to dance?
It is very sad to see the lack of global coordination right now. I wonder if, like the timeline for destruction has been condensed, we might also be able to condense the timeline for awakening.
Start a war on this short-sightedness that is keeping us collectively focussed on US/THEM.
I always appreciate the brevity and wit here. As Carlin said, "we're swirling the drain," and at this point, I don't think there's much water left in the tub.
Around the world there are islands of sanity, some geographical, some philosophical, all exploring responses and new ways of living. Petri dish communities. Homegrown seems like one based on hope and pragmatism. These islands contain alternative visions for the future, sorely needed if we are to respond instead of reacting from a position of being back on our heels. Think of them have seeds for the rerouting of our evolutionary path.
One of the key issues I see with this whole movement—ex-risk aware, sense-maker, techno-utopian skeptical, meta-crisis analyst, self-optimization-without-hitting-the-obvious-traps, game-B respecter—is the evident tension between maintaining intellectual integrity and actually moving the needle at scale.
If this is really a civilizational-scale emergency, why does the response look like boutique intellectual work for the already-converted rather than an all-hands-on-deck mobilization?
Either:
-The emergency framing is overblown (and this is just interesting intellectual work)
-There's an unacknowledged acceptance of limits ("we can't actually move the needle, so we'll do what we can")
-The personal incentives aren't aligned with the stated mission
-There's no clear theory of change connecting the ideas to scaled impact
wrote a book about it, actually laying out a fairly comprehensive model of change and set of relevant timelines. next one is continuing a deeper exploration of those themes. and have a community of thousands of folks around the world exploring these questions and everyone's personal responses to them that's pretty fun and heartfelt. plus we train folks in wild environments to live, travel, mend and learn together. This substack is a fraction of what we're up to, personally and professionally. Don't have time for Existential Scholasticism where Galaxy Brain types compete to outdo each other counting the Angels of Death on the heads of pins. Do write here, not for the converted (that's boring and not sure even they would agree with me). Do write to speak to the fence sitters, and those who have been swept up in some version of the consensus trance to playfully, hopefully helpfully offer pattern interrupts and different analogies to consider. thats all!
Thank you for the response. I've read Recapture the Rapture and follow the broader work - I'm asking these questions precisely because I think the diagnosis resonates and the work matters.
I take your point about targeting fence-sitters rather than the deeply captured. That's a clearer strategic focus than I was giving you credit for.
But I want to understand something about the underlying model: When you frame the meaning crisis and rapture ideologies in civilizational-collapse terms, what's your actual theory of change for addressing it at proportional scale?
Hedonic engineering seems genuinely transformative for individuals who engage deeply. A community of thousands exploring these practices creates real value and aliveness. The wilderness training builds tangible capability.
What I'm trying to understand is the compounding mechanism. How does work at this scale connect to the civilizational-level problem as you've diagnosed it?
Is the theory:
Build proof-of-concept, then others scale it through different channels/institutions?
Cultural influence through specific networks that have outsized impact on broader discourse?
Train facilitators who create exponential reach?
The work itself creates conditions that allow other necessary responses to emerge?
Something else entirely?
Or maybe the issue is my framing - perhaps this isn't about "solving" a civilizational crisis in a linear way, but about creating islands of coherence that have effects we can't predict or control, while the broader dynamics play out on their own timeline?
I'm not being rhetorical. There's clearly something about how you're modeling impact that I'm not grasping, and I'd genuinely like to understand it. The gap between the scale of diagnosis and scale of intervention suggests either a compounding mechanism I'm missing, or a different relationship between the work and the crisis than the framing initially suggests.
Bhagavad Gita 101: we don't get what we want, we get what we need. And on the other side of Right and Wrong (and preferred outcomes) is our Dharma that must be done. I'll meet you There.
said more simply: I think we're in for a relatively to dramatically hard landing in the next half century. I think that the incentives and polar traps and obligate adaptations of Late Stage Everything make it incredibly hard to steer this particular steamship around the (shrinking) icebergs. Therefore: we aim to create the Svadlbard Seedbank equivalent of conscious culture that can survive this transition and reboot later. If Joanna Macy's "People of the Passage" and Isaac Asimov's Psychohistorians from Foundations had a baby--and their intent wasn't to stop the crash (too late) but to soften it and shorten it, so that when we rebuild we do so with hope, charity, kindness, creativity and play....that's where I've been signposting, (behind the seemingly cynical/skeptical social commentary)
I agree with you completely. It does feel like we’re heading toward a hard landing but not necessarily an apocalypse after centuries of expansion built on unsustainable assumptions. It appears nearly impossible to steer away from a collision. If the work now isn’t about preventing the crash, but about preparing for what comes after, what do we do or where do we go? Like you said, we can tend to the “cultural seed bank." but don't we need communities to hold it? Can we soften the descent amid the unraveling? Unfortunately from my POV, far too many of the communities can't figure out governance with very few like the Hog Farm or Gaskin's farm have survived for decades. We can’t stop the flood, but hopefully (and hopefully not hopium) we can carry forward the seeds of consciousness that remind us how to be human. Sadly I have my doubts.
But as Rocky points toward above, Hope doesn’t rest in Human cleverness. The big unraveling we’re in illustrates this beautifully. There is a time to humble oneself to a creative process that outstrips our ability to grok it, control it, strategize it. But it’s an active surrender that is most dignified at the moment. Thank you Jamie for your leadership in understanding the active part. But I’m listening elsewhere for the less snarky, kinder small voice that advises faithfulness to Wisdom-beyond-strategy.
all about hope, not particularly enamored with anything, self included. reckon that if we can't laugh at the absurdity of our current moment along the way, then we've really lost something precious. this is a free publication, if youd rather get your inspo and updates elsewhere, you're always welcome. but do know, as a writer, and as an organization, we're all about cultivating the joy on the other side of all these facts. we're not at all about the joy on this side of the facts. that's hopium, and won't survive contact with these next few decades
I appreciate your instinct to laugh at the abyss. It’s the only sane response IMO. From this seat, HOPE is a four-letter word. So what do we do—run for the high country at 9,000 feet, Costa Rica, a ragged little compound with solar on the roof on some island past the reach of the AI algorithms and the suits who worship it? No easy exits. The morass is deep. I spent the early years of the new century doing deals in China—fourteen, fifteen trips, boots on concrete, eyes full of cranes and neon--one day at the gym in Shanghai, counting over a dozen new skyscapers in view through one window. If you doubt the ascent, go see it yourself. It’s magnificent and terrifying—a future moving forward a breakneck speed while the old U.S. of A. lights itself on fire for the insurance money. And if you want the backstory, Mao: The Unknown Story. That’ll cure you of any leftover illusions about comfort or destiny. Meanwhile, keep your sense of humor and your bags packed.
As the Arabs say, Trust in God, but tie your camel. Thank you, Jamie, for the characteristically vibrant, incisive, and thought-provoking picture of our very own camel run amok.
Ecclesiastes reminds us that “to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” When the world feels chaotic or accelerated, Scripture calls us to trust God’s perfect timing rather than despair at human events. As believers, we are to pray for our leaders and the welfare of our nation, seek peace, and act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. The Bible reminds us that true security and hope are not found in politics, economies, or nations, but in Christ alone, who reigns over all. So even when history seems to spin faster than we can follow, we hold steady, anchored in faith, steadfast in love, and confident that God’s purposes will stand.
said the Jewish disciples of Christ, shortly before the Romans dismantled their Temple brick from brick...
In parallel accounts in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus predicts the destruction of the physical temple, stating that "not one stone here will be left upon another; every one will be thrown down".
... while inspiring mass suicide at Masada among the dearly departed Zealots.
But, all these folks displaced by automation, mechanization, and AI aren't out of work—they can easily get all the new jobs created by AI—better jobs! That will help generate more goods and services that we Americans want and so desperately need to consume more of. No UBI needed. We'll even get more efficient at drilling and strip mining for all the raw materials the perpetual scheme requires to keep costs down! Oh, don't worry about nature, we'll leave a few parks and the birds will be fine. #MAGA #abundance
Good times for some extra-radical hope.
is that sarcasm I detect there TJ? I'm not sure if that heralds hope or utter despair. How does it feel? fun to vent with , hard to live by ;)
Guilty of sarcasm.
I do wonder, though, how many people recognize the underpinnings and the broad systems perspective of the "human progress" narrative. There are a lot of great people doing great work, but based on the direction things are heading at a national/global level, it seems there aren't enough yet. Playing the infinite game seems more relevant than ever. As you said, time's running out.
Really appreciate your thoughtfulness here as always Jamie. I am curious what you think of the geopolitical impact of all this on the relationship between Canada and the US in particular.
And then in general, do you think there is a way that we can play through the chaos?
If we've lost all time, is it then a time to dance?
It is very sad to see the lack of global coordination right now. I wonder if, like the timeline for destruction has been condensed, we might also be able to condense the timeline for awakening.
Start a war on this short-sightedness that is keeping us collectively focussed on US/THEM.
I always appreciate the brevity and wit here. As Carlin said, "we're swirling the drain," and at this point, I don't think there's much water left in the tub.
Around the world there are islands of sanity, some geographical, some philosophical, all exploring responses and new ways of living. Petri dish communities. Homegrown seems like one based on hope and pragmatism. These islands contain alternative visions for the future, sorely needed if we are to respond instead of reacting from a position of being back on our heels. Think of them have seeds for the rerouting of our evolutionary path.
Islands of coherence. I would love to see a mapping of them for others to see and learn from.
One of the key issues I see with this whole movement—ex-risk aware, sense-maker, techno-utopian skeptical, meta-crisis analyst, self-optimization-without-hitting-the-obvious-traps, game-B respecter—is the evident tension between maintaining intellectual integrity and actually moving the needle at scale.
If this is really a civilizational-scale emergency, why does the response look like boutique intellectual work for the already-converted rather than an all-hands-on-deck mobilization?
Either:
-The emergency framing is overblown (and this is just interesting intellectual work)
-There's an unacknowledged acceptance of limits ("we can't actually move the needle, so we'll do what we can")
-The personal incentives aren't aligned with the stated mission
-There's no clear theory of change connecting the ideas to scaled impact
Which is it?
wrote a book about it, actually laying out a fairly comprehensive model of change and set of relevant timelines. next one is continuing a deeper exploration of those themes. and have a community of thousands of folks around the world exploring these questions and everyone's personal responses to them that's pretty fun and heartfelt. plus we train folks in wild environments to live, travel, mend and learn together. This substack is a fraction of what we're up to, personally and professionally. Don't have time for Existential Scholasticism where Galaxy Brain types compete to outdo each other counting the Angels of Death on the heads of pins. Do write here, not for the converted (that's boring and not sure even they would agree with me). Do write to speak to the fence sitters, and those who have been swept up in some version of the consensus trance to playfully, hopefully helpfully offer pattern interrupts and different analogies to consider. thats all!
Thank you for the response. I've read Recapture the Rapture and follow the broader work - I'm asking these questions precisely because I think the diagnosis resonates and the work matters.
I take your point about targeting fence-sitters rather than the deeply captured. That's a clearer strategic focus than I was giving you credit for.
But I want to understand something about the underlying model: When you frame the meaning crisis and rapture ideologies in civilizational-collapse terms, what's your actual theory of change for addressing it at proportional scale?
Hedonic engineering seems genuinely transformative for individuals who engage deeply. A community of thousands exploring these practices creates real value and aliveness. The wilderness training builds tangible capability.
What I'm trying to understand is the compounding mechanism. How does work at this scale connect to the civilizational-level problem as you've diagnosed it?
Is the theory:
Build proof-of-concept, then others scale it through different channels/institutions?
Cultural influence through specific networks that have outsized impact on broader discourse?
Train facilitators who create exponential reach?
The work itself creates conditions that allow other necessary responses to emerge?
Something else entirely?
Or maybe the issue is my framing - perhaps this isn't about "solving" a civilizational crisis in a linear way, but about creating islands of coherence that have effects we can't predict or control, while the broader dynamics play out on their own timeline?
I'm not being rhetorical. There's clearly something about how you're modeling impact that I'm not grasping, and I'd genuinely like to understand it. The gap between the scale of diagnosis and scale of intervention suggests either a compounding mechanism I'm missing, or a different relationship between the work and the crisis than the framing initially suggests.
What's the piece I'm not seeing?
Bhagavad Gita 101: we don't get what we want, we get what we need. And on the other side of Right and Wrong (and preferred outcomes) is our Dharma that must be done. I'll meet you There.
said more simply: I think we're in for a relatively to dramatically hard landing in the next half century. I think that the incentives and polar traps and obligate adaptations of Late Stage Everything make it incredibly hard to steer this particular steamship around the (shrinking) icebergs. Therefore: we aim to create the Svadlbard Seedbank equivalent of conscious culture that can survive this transition and reboot later. If Joanna Macy's "People of the Passage" and Isaac Asimov's Psychohistorians from Foundations had a baby--and their intent wasn't to stop the crash (too late) but to soften it and shorten it, so that when we rebuild we do so with hope, charity, kindness, creativity and play....that's where I've been signposting, (behind the seemingly cynical/skeptical social commentary)
I agree with you completely. It does feel like we’re heading toward a hard landing but not necessarily an apocalypse after centuries of expansion built on unsustainable assumptions. It appears nearly impossible to steer away from a collision. If the work now isn’t about preventing the crash, but about preparing for what comes after, what do we do or where do we go? Like you said, we can tend to the “cultural seed bank." but don't we need communities to hold it? Can we soften the descent amid the unraveling? Unfortunately from my POV, far too many of the communities can't figure out governance with very few like the Hog Farm or Gaskin's farm have survived for decades. We can’t stop the flood, but hopefully (and hopefully not hopium) we can carry forward the seeds of consciousness that remind us how to be human. Sadly I have my doubts.
I do appreciate your sense making Jamie. Despite how enamored you seem to be by your own cleverness,
But as Rocky points toward above, Hope doesn’t rest in Human cleverness. The big unraveling we’re in illustrates this beautifully. There is a time to humble oneself to a creative process that outstrips our ability to grok it, control it, strategize it. But it’s an active surrender that is most dignified at the moment. Thank you Jamie for your leadership in understanding the active part. But I’m listening elsewhere for the less snarky, kinder small voice that advises faithfulness to Wisdom-beyond-strategy.
all about hope, not particularly enamored with anything, self included. reckon that if we can't laugh at the absurdity of our current moment along the way, then we've really lost something precious. this is a free publication, if youd rather get your inspo and updates elsewhere, you're always welcome. but do know, as a writer, and as an organization, we're all about cultivating the joy on the other side of all these facts. we're not at all about the joy on this side of the facts. that's hopium, and won't survive contact with these next few decades
I appreciate your instinct to laugh at the abyss. It’s the only sane response IMO. From this seat, HOPE is a four-letter word. So what do we do—run for the high country at 9,000 feet, Costa Rica, a ragged little compound with solar on the roof on some island past the reach of the AI algorithms and the suits who worship it? No easy exits. The morass is deep. I spent the early years of the new century doing deals in China—fourteen, fifteen trips, boots on concrete, eyes full of cranes and neon--one day at the gym in Shanghai, counting over a dozen new skyscapers in view through one window. If you doubt the ascent, go see it yourself. It’s magnificent and terrifying—a future moving forward a breakneck speed while the old U.S. of A. lights itself on fire for the insurance money. And if you want the backstory, Mao: The Unknown Story. That’ll cure you of any leftover illusions about comfort or destiny. Meanwhile, keep your sense of humor and your bags packed.
a fig doesn’t go as far as it used to #figflation
Hopefully, strategy emerges from wisdom.
outlast them. it's all about timelines, long game and keeping the faith