Not Quite At Acceptance: Collapse Bargaining

John Michael Greer of The Archdruid Report (see links) has written extensively about the stages of grief people go through when they finally learn about where our future civilizations are really headed: a loss of easy travel, excess, cheap services and goods, avoidance of hard labor, ability to live independently even with physical limitations (like retirement or disability), easy access to information and automation, etc. We’re going to face a massive restructuring of society as we are forced to adjust to the limitations of our finite planet and the consequences of the destruction we’ve wreaked upon our biosphere and atmosphere.

Most people don’t want to face this coming reality (its already starting to hit now) and what it means to their familiar lives of comfort, ease, and security. But eventually, thing will percolate through and people are shocked and in denial, then they bargain, get angry, get depressed, and finally accept and move on to doing what they can to prepare.

Of course, its not always so simple nor in that exact order. A person can start to grasp the reality of what’s coming and linger in the bargaining stages for a very long time. Case in point, John Wheeler:

thelongascent.blogspot.com/

The above blog is very readable, and makes some excellent suggestions and opens up some perspectives. But I can’t help but note that he’s not just taking an “optimistic stance” with his blog (he is also an avid reader of Archdruid Report) he’s still in deep denial about some things. Most of his blog is about his bargaining at some levels and acceptance at others.

For example, he still thinks we can maybe colonize Mars and that it might be a wise investment. (We don’t have the energy to get that going– no way.) Or that we can Transition pretty well “if only other people” do what they must. As Greer pointed out years ago, the time for things to transition easily is long over. Not that it isn’t still a great idea, if only that the more prep local communities make for what’s coming the better for everyone. However, the political and monetary collective will to make such a major shift in lifestyle is NOT present, nor will it be until its too late. People will make changes when they’re forced to (most of them, not counting a few preppers and transitioners) which in most cases means after the easy way down is long past.

Its kind of interesting to see someone actually use the techniques, philosophies and jargon of the Prepper/Transition types to justify his adamant belief that things can actually be better. That we’ll “Ascend” rather than Descend. He’s bargaining, in other words, using the power and language of the Acceptors– and that’s kind of a mental trip.

Not that I’m that surprised. It makes sense that people who can’t accept the darker aspects of the coming reality feel inclined to put a positive spin on it where they can. In some ways, its healthy to have hope. He’s a smart, thoughtful guy who wants to turn a negative into a positive. Totally understandable.

Also, there is no argument that when we switch to a more modest lifestyle of prepping, we can often find unexpected pleasures– saving money, the joys of gardening and preserving food, gaining mastery of more do-it-yourself skills, meeting and talking and working with other people, etc. There are many benefits to changing your lifestyle in this way. But right now its still a choice. Many of us are living with one foot in both worlds (and really, you should– its too hard to be cut off completely from your entire society) and enjoying benefits from both as we go along. That’s how we make our transition smoother.

But-!

But it won’t be the same when the choice is taken away and people surrounding us are suffering. Grinding poverty will so prevalent for so long that optimism may not easy to come by– and not being able to acknowledge that reality is still an obstacle to full acceptance.

I’m not trying to pick on Wheeler. I think we’re going to see a lot more of this in the years to come. Its a part of a psychological journey that we have either been on before or will be on in the future. All of humanity will come to understand the not-so-pretty reality of Decent and Collapse.