‘The hope of a secure and liveable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.’ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Downshifting is as much about questioning conformity and letting go of seeking the approval of others as it is about reducing, reusing and recycling. Learning to lead a simpler life is as much about standing in our own truth as it is about cultivating joyful frugality.
Observing the events with the riots in some UK cities recently, overwhelming questions for me have been: What is beneath all of this? What is the root cause? And how will we address that? The initial sense I have of this situation is that it seems to have a lot to do with repression, extreme resentment and an inability to find an appropriate, non-violent outlet, a way of expressing pressing grievances. There also appears to be a lack of a trusted environment where those grievances will be heard unconditionally and acted upon with respect and compassion.
These acute waves of emotions feel very similar to me to those experienced by many who are teetering on the edge of leaving the rat race. The more personal ‘rioting’ that results can take the form of breakdowns in relationship or health of one kind or another. Many, fortunately, choose to intervene sooner, before their feelings of resentment and frustration reach their peak.
What saddens, but does not surprise, me in the state’s response to the violence, is the aggressive, retributive approach that is being taken.
Downshifting is something I see as being primarily a peaceful path. It is often initiated as a result of some very strong emotions, revelations or passions surfacing. However, the act of downshifting and of moving towards living more lightly on the earth, is one of gentle, restorative justice – of setting things straight in our lives to how they were always meant to be: lived with meaning, fulfilment, time to slow down, relax and enjoy.
The rioters have reminded me of the consequences of living our lives in a society focussed on the material and where relationships, community and fairness come a poor second to GDP and unrelenting economic growth at the expense of the poor and the planet. This approach, as we have seen, is not only meaningless, but also powerfully destructive.
On a personal level, breaking the cycle of suffering that supports our being in the rat race often involves releasing our approval seeking habits so that we can be ok with standing in our truth and letting go of materialism. Unleashing these ties releases the time and energy to nurture relationships, build community and restore fair play. Who do you know who does not wish to live in peace?
Peace is not just an absence of violence, war, or riots. It is about living in harmony with ourselves, other people, other sentient beings, plants and minerals.
Whilst harvesting crab apples yersterday, I was reminded of the harmonising principles of permaculture design and then, on returning to my desk, discovered the refreshing alternative idea of an eco-prison in Norway, where inmates are encouraged back into society through a rehabilitation programme based on participating in food cultivation.
It would seem to be an intelligent, downshifted solution to the failings of the business- as- usual prison system.
This site seeks to explore the heart and soul of downshifting to a more sustainable, ethical and holistic way of living and working, in keeping with the needs of the planet, humanity as a whole and ourselves as individuals. 
This is a very interesting video – thanks Sally – wouldn’t it be good if UK could do this?
Hilary – I’m not currently aware of anything like this going on in the UK and yes, it would be lovely to see.
If anyone knows of similar initiatives, please do comment.
Hi Sally,
Very meaningful post on the violence, not only from the rioters but form the government response. I observe (being in the US so this is from TV news mostly) how everyone seems so perplexed, partly due to the fact that this all happened on camera. I know the UK has spent $$$ on CTV cameras and anti terror systems. I wonder if the fact that THEY knew this was all on TV wasn’t some of the cause? I mean, having your picture, face recognition, and texts all screened, scanned, and monitored is a form of creepy violence too. In the US, it is not as widespread, but now they are putting those red-light cameras everywhere. I never run red lights, but honestly, every time I see the flash go off (and believe me they take pics of drivers like rapid fire here) I start having thoughts about how to beat that “camera”. I can see if I was poor, desperate, and cut off from hope, I might throw a rock thru a window to grab a shirt or TV. Going further with fire and hurting people is then just a step up form that. I hope we can work out ways to follow your ideas of going to those people, maybe turning off the cameras, and helping them feel connected to this beautiful Earth. They certainly aren’t going to feel more connected after serving 4 years in prison for sending a text… at least not in any prison the UK or US has right now. Peace,
Jamie
Interesting take on this, Sally, from the sustainability viewpoint. I completely agree with you about the reactive stance politicians have taken, and as Jamie inplies, prison sentences here will simply train them to be seriously criminal.
Jamie – I hadn’t considered the cameras and that’s a thought provoking idea. It’s also interesting to hear how those incidents were being reported in the media elsewhere.
Tess – Thanks for your input, very welcome as always.
May we all live in peace today.
Sally Congratulations on this wonderful piece.
I believe in almost everything you’ve written.
Sustainable earth, relationship, justice all of it.
Many thanks
Rajiv
Thank you, Rajiv, for your feedback and encouragement.
Greetings!
I find much of worth in Sally’s writings, but on this issue I’m at some variance. To chose Downshifting, whether the actual deed, or at my somewhat lower (or should that be higher!?) level the consideration of it as a solution, requires that one has “the stuff”, and that one has realised that possession of it really isn’t helping and that progress may only come from a simpler way of being. One also needs the intelligence to realise that this is a viable option and the understanding of the implications.
At the considerable risk of being regarded as elitist I suggest that those looters of designer goods, outsize TVs and more “stuff” than they could carry are not at the required level of understanding required.
What’s more; a “downsized” ethos would be totally opposed to the values they espouse and hold dear.
Downsizing, along with other regimes requiring abnegation of consumption and possession, is a luxury item. But, if a life of poverty, scarcity and need has been enforced then one may not be able to value such an approach. It is an intellectual way of a very high order, evidenced by many writers.
Sally makes much reference to the “emotional” upheaval, in our lives and in those of the rioters. I’d go further – the looters are simply displaying an animalistic passion for possession – the interviews I saw with some of the riot attendees demonstrated an incapacity for coherent thought, communication or consideration for society.
As our population increases there will be more and more like them, and as the Wisdom of Crowds shows, those on the periphery of such behaviour will be drawn in rather than be seen as those apart.
Reworking an old joke – “You know how obnoxious, selfcentered and delusional the average person is? Well, HALF the population is worse than that!”
The clamour of the bell curve is ringing loudly with calls for understanding of the looters, but, just for this once, I’ll back the “aggressive, retributive approach that is being taken”.
I’ll downsize in my own way, and I’ll not have somebody else do it TO me for their selfish temporary, antisocial, gain.
Hi Ed,
I respect your views and appreciate that you wrote that looters have displayed animalistic passion for possession.
I agree.
Elsewhere you wrote, “At the considerable risk of being regarded as elitist I suggest that those looters of designer goods, outsize TVs and more “stuff” than they could carry are not at the required level of understanding required.”
I agree and appreciate your viewpoint.
The question we have now, which i believe is not answered, is that, how do inculcate an understanding in them?
I work with all shapes and sizes of so called ‘offenders’. I try to engage them into Restorative justice and so far in my experience, I haven’t managed to make a single one of them understand anything, unless they want to.
They are sentenced, forced to follow the court orders, sent to prison, on various license conditions, however they or anyone can’t understand if there is no desire to understand.
Thats my experience.
The other point i want to make is that when I feel hurt, its easy for me to shift into a retaliatory behaviour than following what I believe in from the core of my heart, which I believe is compassion.
Best wishes.
Rajiv
Hello Ed,
Thanks for your feedback on this article. I’d like, in return, to comment on some of what you’ve contributed. You wrote:
“To chose Downshifting, whether the actual deed, or at my somewhat lower (or should that be higher!?) level the consideration of it as a solution, requires that one has “the stuff”, and that one has realised that possession of it really isn’t helping and that progress may only come from a simpler way of being.”
In my experience this is how many people view downshifting, in terms of moving from a life of high consumption and owning lots of stuff to one of much lower consumption and owning less. Some people – and I would say an increasing number from what I’m seeing – manage to take on the values that underpin a downshifted approach before they become totally embroiled in the rat race. So, they tell me they’ve never actually ‘upshifted’, haven’t ever found themselves in a position of the blind conformity that keeps us consuming to maintain our status/identity in society and ‘working to pay off the debts that inevitably ensue’.
“One also needs the intelligence to realise that this is a viable option and the understanding of the implications.”
Yes, somehow we need to reach a point where we can stand back and observe our behaviour for what it is.
“Downsizing, along with other regimes requiring abnegation of consumption and possession, is a luxury item.”
As I’ve said above, for some this is the case and not for all, as far as I’m aware.
“But, if a life of poverty, scarcity and need has been enforced then one may not be able to value such an approach.”
Indeed – and some may value it even more. I believe that when any circumstance appears to be foisted upon us, however dire, we still, in theory at least, have the choice in how we respond to that. My point about the rioters is that they were using violence and lawless behaviour as a way of ‘acting out’ under these circumstances. It must be incredibly challenging, I imagine, to behave in any other way if the values and beliefs about life and about other people that one has adopted point only to this option.
There are other choices, of course, if only the rioters were aware of this. Let’s remember that there are still plenty of people living in similar circumstances of poverty in the cities of England who chose *not* to riot and find other ways of expressing their disquiet.
I believe a retributive approach to justice simply reinforces those values that are at the root of the apparent compulsion to aggressive behaviour – the animalist passion – whereas a restorative approach attempts to instill an alternative set of values that underpin a more peaceful society. It is this shift in values that I see as being related to downshifting.