Heather K - I check my messenger or email me a signel or phone number. In between your seeking paying work , I can do a green paper exchange for helping me in the garden by the lake
Great article, Max. While my posts are much more 'off the cuff,' it would seem they come from many of the same schools of thought, if not specific people. It would be great to communicate with each other, including sharing our posts. Actually, I plan to share, with permission of course, stuff I think would be of interest to people who read my Substack. Let me know, if you are open to my doing so. Peace.
I love this… and with much honor and gratitude and support for your work “This is psychologically, physically, and spiritually stressful, and can result in trauma and burnout.”
What if- this isn’t *inherently* true outside of the physical tiredness, resolved by sleep? What if there’s another orientation towards the danger we run toward that enables us, hones our, sharpens or clarifies our ability- capacity for- “healing presence” which is always inherently mutual?
I’m afraid the western paradigm of “cost” has invaded our most intimate moments: what if being with someone at the moment of death, or suffering, is as equally an honor and a fullness of presence that is a gift to both us and those we tend as is- or more than- any “self care?”
I’m concerned that the paradigm of “give” and “take” (eg: caregiver and caretaker) have settled into our belief- bones as a society in ways that simply do not serve. There are ways of knowing in our physical bodies that don’t add the psychological paradigm of “cost” and “stress” to the realness of “being with each other” (and the land, etc.).
There is plenty of physical need for the use of our adrenals towards other ends.
I hope I’m making sense here- I am committed (and am a veteran healing professional working with both first responders and addicts on the side of the spectrum closest to death, amongst others- as well as an org systems worker) to the same things you are pointing to here, so if further conversation makes sense I’m here for it.
Excellent overview/summation, and very informative. I am bookmarking and plan to share this.
I am also personally in need of it, as I'm currently dealing with....I'm not sure what....moral exhaustion? A deep and complete loss of faith in humanity? It's a place I haven't really been before, so it's a bit hard to describe, but that, and other symptoms, make me thing I'm currently between 'Reactive' and 'Injured'.
I'm actually headed for a spiritual retreat soon as I've recognized that I'm in need of a deeper healing than intellectual understanding (which itself does help, but not resolve, my incomprehension at the ongoing and willful self-destructiveness of our species) or various self-help techniques.
Much to think about here.
Unrelated side note: re: your employment....to whatever extent is appropriate, can you share what you are seeking, and what your location flexibility is? Environmental non-profit work? Activism organization? Etc.
Thanks for sharing some of your journey and wisdom with us.
Thank you Max. I really appreciate your connection between activism and self-care. It doesn't even seem like a connection to me at all, but more like a necessary integration that has been stunted and maimed by our cultural norms.
Not to get super philosophical, but it brings to mind Nietzsche's "tragic man," who is a healthy integration between the Apollonian and Dionysian man. The former lives in the world of illusion and dreaming and art, participating in a way that denies the inevitable endings and the many limitations of Earth and humans. The latter sees through the illusion of endless growth but is psychically taken down by both the facade and its lack of sincerity and the limitations to the point he cannot engage. Play doesn't enter the Dionysian experience at all. The so-called "tragic man" integrates the two. I see great activists aware of the illusion of industrial civilization, yet if they can playfully (at times) engage in activism infusing curiosity and imaginative/relational spirit with wild nature, then this seems like a healing counterpart to the work.
Max, this post was so very powerful for me and makes me love you even more than I already do - coming from one traumatized human being to another.
I just got put in Facebook jail, yet again, and I'm wondering whether I should, yet again, just close my account. I am SO ANGRY that in order to maintain relationships with my community I am forced to use an abusive platform which treats its users like disobedient children even as it rakes in billions in profits. My crime? I posted photos and videos of a joyful rally that I attended in my hometown with a whole group of new friends fighting against the Canadian government.
But I'm also angry and disappointed at the people I know which are using the platform which should know better and despite MANY alternatives because they have also been subjected to Facebook jail for the most minor infractions.
Until/unless we as human beings walk away from all of these relationships with abusive technologies I do not think we stand a chance. Given the fact that so many alternatives exist it remains a mystery as to what is stopping people.
In any case, I'm profoundly moved by this article. It reminds me how important it is to keep resisting. Our very humanity is at stake.
This post covers a lot! and reminds that there are "self-help" books but i've yet to see the label "help others", tho some books encourage that. Also, "self" and "other" tend to be divisive categories as a "self" is simply one of the "others" and "others" are simply reflections of the One Self, so both self-care and care for others have their same different places. Then again, some "others" are outright dangerous and much of civilization is as John Trudell said in "Look At Us"..."Trying to isolate us in a dimension called loneliness leading us into the trap believe in their power but not in ourselves piling us with guilt always taking the blame". When i feel "alone" i remind myself of "allone" and suddenly that cloud or bird or breeze or stranger becomes a new friend.
Thank you, Will. I needed to read that as it seems the US, France and the European Union are descending into Fascism.
I meant Max - sorry!
Max- let’s play or work if you return to Bham. My garden needs human hands!
Heather K - I check my messenger or email me a signel or phone number. In between your seeking paying work , I can do a green paper exchange for helping me in the garden by the lake
Great article, Max. While my posts are much more 'off the cuff,' it would seem they come from many of the same schools of thought, if not specific people. It would be great to communicate with each other, including sharing our posts. Actually, I plan to share, with permission of course, stuff I think would be of interest to people who read my Substack. Let me know, if you are open to my doing so. Peace.
I love this… and with much honor and gratitude and support for your work “This is psychologically, physically, and spiritually stressful, and can result in trauma and burnout.”
What if- this isn’t *inherently* true outside of the physical tiredness, resolved by sleep? What if there’s another orientation towards the danger we run toward that enables us, hones our, sharpens or clarifies our ability- capacity for- “healing presence” which is always inherently mutual?
I’m afraid the western paradigm of “cost” has invaded our most intimate moments: what if being with someone at the moment of death, or suffering, is as equally an honor and a fullness of presence that is a gift to both us and those we tend as is- or more than- any “self care?”
I’m concerned that the paradigm of “give” and “take” (eg: caregiver and caretaker) have settled into our belief- bones as a society in ways that simply do not serve. There are ways of knowing in our physical bodies that don’t add the psychological paradigm of “cost” and “stress” to the realness of “being with each other” (and the land, etc.).
There is plenty of physical need for the use of our adrenals towards other ends.
I hope I’m making sense here- I am committed (and am a veteran healing professional working with both first responders and addicts on the side of the spectrum closest to death, amongst others- as well as an org systems worker) to the same things you are pointing to here, so if further conversation makes sense I’m here for it.
Excellent overview/summation, and very informative. I am bookmarking and plan to share this.
I am also personally in need of it, as I'm currently dealing with....I'm not sure what....moral exhaustion? A deep and complete loss of faith in humanity? It's a place I haven't really been before, so it's a bit hard to describe, but that, and other symptoms, make me thing I'm currently between 'Reactive' and 'Injured'.
I'm actually headed for a spiritual retreat soon as I've recognized that I'm in need of a deeper healing than intellectual understanding (which itself does help, but not resolve, my incomprehension at the ongoing and willful self-destructiveness of our species) or various self-help techniques.
Much to think about here.
Unrelated side note: re: your employment....to whatever extent is appropriate, can you share what you are seeking, and what your location flexibility is? Environmental non-profit work? Activism organization? Etc.
Thanks for sharing some of your journey and wisdom with us.
Thank you Max. I really appreciate your connection between activism and self-care. It doesn't even seem like a connection to me at all, but more like a necessary integration that has been stunted and maimed by our cultural norms.
Not to get super philosophical, but it brings to mind Nietzsche's "tragic man," who is a healthy integration between the Apollonian and Dionysian man. The former lives in the world of illusion and dreaming and art, participating in a way that denies the inevitable endings and the many limitations of Earth and humans. The latter sees through the illusion of endless growth but is psychically taken down by both the facade and its lack of sincerity and the limitations to the point he cannot engage. Play doesn't enter the Dionysian experience at all. The so-called "tragic man" integrates the two. I see great activists aware of the illusion of industrial civilization, yet if they can playfully (at times) engage in activism infusing curiosity and imaginative/relational spirit with wild nature, then this seems like a healing counterpart to the work.
Max, this post was so very powerful for me and makes me love you even more than I already do - coming from one traumatized human being to another.
I just got put in Facebook jail, yet again, and I'm wondering whether I should, yet again, just close my account. I am SO ANGRY that in order to maintain relationships with my community I am forced to use an abusive platform which treats its users like disobedient children even as it rakes in billions in profits. My crime? I posted photos and videos of a joyful rally that I attended in my hometown with a whole group of new friends fighting against the Canadian government.
But I'm also angry and disappointed at the people I know which are using the platform which should know better and despite MANY alternatives because they have also been subjected to Facebook jail for the most minor infractions.
Until/unless we as human beings walk away from all of these relationships with abusive technologies I do not think we stand a chance. Given the fact that so many alternatives exist it remains a mystery as to what is stopping people.
In any case, I'm profoundly moved by this article. It reminds me how important it is to keep resisting. Our very humanity is at stake.
This post covers a lot! and reminds that there are "self-help" books but i've yet to see the label "help others", tho some books encourage that. Also, "self" and "other" tend to be divisive categories as a "self" is simply one of the "others" and "others" are simply reflections of the One Self, so both self-care and care for others have their same different places. Then again, some "others" are outright dangerous and much of civilization is as John Trudell said in "Look At Us"..."Trying to isolate us in a dimension called loneliness leading us into the trap believe in their power but not in ourselves piling us with guilt always taking the blame". When i feel "alone" i remind myself of "allone" and suddenly that cloud or bird or breeze or stranger becomes a new friend.