"A strange thing has been revealed to me. Every time I talk to someone who is extremely wise and knowledgeable, I am convinced that happiness in the world is no longer possible. But when I talk to my gardener, my belief is completely reversed.” Bertrand Russell.
Russell may have said this sixty-seven years ago, but today's era has proven it
to be true. Before I write anything else, it is necessary to clarify that my
topic is not the pursuit of happiness, but the flawed concept of happiness that
is modern. has gained acceptance in the world and as a result our earth is
currently on the brink of destruction. What is this concept of happiness? With
this concept, moving forward in life, fulfilling your desires and working
continuously to achieve this goal is the height of happiness. All the desires
we associate with this concept of happiness are related to modern day luxuries,
such as plane travel, expensive clothes, dining in fancy restaurants, owning a
luxurious house, cars, mobile phones, etc. Everyone can change the list
according to their preferences, but whatever list you make, one thing will
inevitably come out of it and that is the desire for growth, it is called
'Growth' in English. This desire for growth is intense not only at the
individual level but also at the collective level, that's why every country is
very sensitive about its growth rate. So, this concept of growth has become
associated with the pursuit of happiness, and this concept is only found in
humans who have subconsciously determined that our happiness is the only thing
that matters on this planet, and therefore the pursuit of happiness. As a
result, if the species of other organisms become extinct, it is not a matter of
concern. Due to this concept of happiness and growth, when various species of
animals started disappearing in the world, environmental pollution started to
increase catastrophically, and scientists predicted that if we continue like
this, this world will end very soon.
Then the nations of the world
sat together and made some agreements among themselves in which it was decided
that the countries of the world will take concrete steps to reduce carbon
emissions. That's why nowadays if you buy a plane ticket through an app, the
app tells you how much carbon dioxide emissions the plane you'll be traveling
in has already reduced. In a way, this is an expression of the airline's
concern for the planet and its sleepless nights on how to reduce carbon dioxide
emissions. Similarly, if you look at the advertisements aired in Europe or the
United States, you will see various companies convincing you that reducing
environmental pollution is their top priority and that they are playing their
full role in this regard. , such as a clothing company will state that its
goods are delivered by electric trucks, and so on. But this is all a sham. The
emission of carbon dioxide from a plane has decreased by 12%, but there are
about 150,000 planes flying in the world every day, fifty years ago this number
was many times less. Various global clothing brands now use electric trucks to
deliver their goods, but they don't mention the environmental impact of making
these clothes in their advertisements. You should understand that these
measures to deal with environmental pollution make as much difference to
environmental pollution as adding fresh water to the sea.
The solution to this problem lies in degrowth. It is now the responsibility of
the Western countries that left the planet uninhabitable to rein in their
growth. Estimate the royal expenses of these countries from the fact that the
amount of energy spent on an average American, if the rest of the world's
population starts spending it, we will need five planets like Earth to live.
These so-called development. It
is the developed countries that have introduced the custom that if something
gets damaged, throw it away and buy a new one, make new clothes every season
and every month and earn more money to fulfill your desires. Since they
realized that due to these actions the planet has reached the brink of
destruction, now they have introduced a new term called sustainable growth. Low
carbon emissions from airplanes and electric cars are all examples of this. I
am not saying that it should not happen, I am saying that the sustainable
growth model is not enough to reduce the contribution of these western
countries to environmental pollution. It's like saying I'll eat an omelet but I
won't break an egg. The western world will have to de-grow and adopt a
minimalist lifestyle. This does not mean that man should move to caves and
start covering his body with leaves instead of clothes. It can be done in a
much better way, but the way mankind is living now, our earth cannot afford it
for a long time. So, the solution is to produce as much as the earth can
sustain, keeping in mind the minimum human needs, only then is it likely that
the planet will last a few hundred more years or else. This journey is in vain.
According to the modern concept of happiness, 'Individualism is supreme,
individual happiness comes first and shopping is everyone's right.' This
concept has not only made man selfish but also destroyed the earth, without
thinking that man's right to live is more important than his right to purchase.
If there is no land, where will you shop?
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