Being fully human
Why sustainability is in danger of failing due to us and how it can truly succeed
Abstract
Is man a purely rational being? This viewpoint is wrong and misleading according to the
latest scientific findings in the fields of neurobiology and psychology, and also according to the conceptions
of man in Western and Eastern philosophies. Nevertheless, regarding the topic of social transformation,
the inner dimension of consciousness is often ignored and the need for more ecological
thinking and sustainable behavior is mostly approached from a purely rational and mechanistic point
of view. Its inherent limitation of awareness and understanding leads to the so-called “mind-behavior
gap” and remains ignorant of its self-referential causes.
To succeed in the crucial challenges of our times, such as the ecological and climate crisis, we need to
accept and apply the complexity of man as an ecological, social, emotional and spiritual entity. The
fragmentations of these four dimensions reveal themselves as collective trauma that drives our human
behavior in crisis.
The approach to psychological and social transformation described in this essay acknowledges the
complexity and qualities of being human. The solution suggested for the ecological and climate crisis
therefore depends on the transformation necessary to overcome the multiple human fragmentations.
The significant role and dynamics of collective trauma is explained, followed by a guideline on how to
overcome its effects and enable sustainable solutions: a fourfold process of transformation that combines
the outer and inner dimensions of sustainability with psychological transformation and visionary
leadership – applicable to individuals as well as organizations.
