Last updated August 28, 2015
*** This post is under construction and will likely take a few weeks or months (years?) of writing, editing and refining. It is posted before it is finished because some of the links may be helpful to people.
I've been reading up on sociopathy a lot over the past year and decided to stick a bunch of stuff I found out into this post. I wasn't aware of how widespread sociopathy is, but suddenly a lot of things I've experienced make sense.
The term Sociopath relates to individuals, however "Socio" means relating to society, and "pathy" means disorder, so by that definition a bigger picture look at what is going on with society might be of use.
Since first publishing this post I've expanded my online research to the topics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Psychopathy as all of these disorders basically denote someone acting without a conscience. There's lots of information out there on all three labels, but I'll use the term "sociopath" for convenience.
While my background is in the fields of behavioural ecology and conservation biology, this is not a formal 'research' thesis, it's just something I'm doing for fun and to spread awareness of the issue. The advantage of writing these ideas up as a blog post is that it permits links to articles and videos. Much of the discussion will be anecdotal and opinion-based.
If some of the issues raised deserve further investigation, perhaps this post be used as an argument for creation of a new, holistic, multidisciplinary field of study eg. Human Conservation Biology that could include research in conservation biology, psychology, economics, law, religious studies and other disciplines. It's occurred to me that current effort in the field of conservation biology may be futile if global economic forces are being controlled by sociopaths. ***
Behavioural Ecology Of Sociopaths And How To Save The World DRAFT
An informal thesis/literature reviewDraft Table of Contents
Abstract
Introduction
Literature Review/List of Links
- Sociopathy 101 - a list of resources explaining sociopathy
- Sociopathy in Government, Business and Society - a list of all sorts of things that may potentially be impacted by sociopathy
- Antidotes to Sociopathy - a list of various links to businesses, ideas, movies, movements that could denote sustainable alternatives to systems at risk of domination by sociopaths
- Sociopathy in Culture - a list of links to movies and other entertainment relevant to sociopathy and empathy
Discussion
- How sociopaths gain control - a discussion to illustrate how sociopaths win people over. incl. brainwashing, gaslighting, manipulation, the switch from empath to apath
- Suggestions for recognizing and responding to sociopathic abuse
- A discussion of codependency
- A discussion of the evolutionary adaptation of sociopathy
- How Sociopathy and Apathy can potentially impact environmental, community and individual health
- How to save the world - Suggestions for how an understanding of sociopathy and sociopathic systems can be used towards improving just about everything.
Abstract
Research indicates that as many as 4% of people, or 1 in 25 are born without a conscience. These aren't just criminals in prisons, but people who are distributed throughout society. Where their personality traits make them suited to reaching high levels of government and business, it may be valuable to consider the implication of this to conservation biology. This literature review/informal thesis is intended to draw attention to the potential impact that sociopathy may have on individual, community and environmental health. Many links are presented in this blog post with a discussion of how to prevent systems from falling under sociopathic control. An argument is presented for the expansion of the science of conservation biology. "Human Conservation Biology" is proposed as a multidisciplinary study that would integrate research in psychology, economics, finance, politics, religious studies and other fields of study.Introduction
Sociopathy may be more widespread than people assumed. This is in part due to the relative ease with which sociopaths tell lies, break societal rules, and their ability to win the support of apaths via bribery, deception and manipulation.The objectives of this blog post are:
- to serve as a resource for links to articles and videos relating to sociopathy,
- to list systems that are at risk of control by sociopaths
- to list solutions, including examples, for alternatives to a sociopathic society
- to help other targets of sociopathy feel better
- to help prevent people from becoming targets
- to inspire people to stop participating in systems that are controlled by sociopaths, or to change these systems from within if possible
While following a 'thesis' format, this post is purposefully informal and based on opinions and summaries of the literature presented, and life experience, rather than scientific research.
Sociopaths, left unchecked, have the potential to make their way up into the highest positions of corporations and politics. So in a way, we are all affected by Sociopathy whether we are ready to realize this yet or not.
In researching sociopathy the following formula came to mind as a simplified equation of what is going wrong with the world.
(sociopathy + apathy) x (ignorance +complacency + greed) = all the world's problems.
Maybe the equation for all the world's solutions is:
(empathy + internet + politics + sustainable business) x community x responsibility
= all the world's solutions
In the months since starting this post I've read a lot about Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) as well as psychopathy. While sociopathy, NPD and psychopathy may differ in various ways the underlying issue is a lack of conscience. The following literature review includes lots of links to information pertaining to all three disorders.
Literature Review
Sociopathy 101 -
A List of Resources Explaining Sociopathy
Books
The Empathy Trap: Understanding Antisocial Personalities by Drs. Jane and Tim McGregor
There is also a Facebook Page by the authors of The Empathy Trap who have written other books on the topic.
Psychopath Free: Recovering From Emotionally Abusive Relationships With Narcissists, Sociopaths and Other Toxic People. by Peace
There is also a large online forum called Psychopath Free started by the author of the above book; this forum has many informative articles and posts within it
Snakes In Suits - When Psychopaths Go To Work. by Paul Babiak and Robert D. Hare
The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout. This book alleges that as many as 1 in 25 people lack a conscience, and this is something that these people physically cannot help.
Articles
Common Everyday Sociopaths by Adam Khan
Empathic People Are Natural Targets for Sociopaths - Protect Yourself by Dr. Jane and Tim McGregor, Addiction Today
Have You Ever Been Duped By A Sociopath? by Jennifer Delaney, Huffington Post Blog
How To Spot A Sociopath - 10 Red Flags That Could Save You From Being Swept Under The Influence Of A Charismatic Nut Job by Mike Adams, Natural News
Inside the Mind of a Psychopath by Kent A. Kiehl and Joshua W. Buckholtz. Scientific American 2010
No, You're Not A Psychopath. Helpful article from the psychopath free forum for folks recovering from run ins with psychopaths
Narcissist or Sociopath? What's the Difference? From The Path Forward website by Lisa E Scott
Pistorius Spotlight: Protecting Ourselves From Sociopaths In Our Homes by Paula Carrasquillo, Communities Digital News
The Psychopath: A New Subspecies Of Homo Sapiens by Brent Kopenhaver. Scott.net
A Sociopath Claims 'We Are The Uniquely Gifted' by Donna Anderson, Lovefraud.com
Sociopaths In Our Midst Hate The Truth And Its Advocates by Rob on Angiemedia.com
Surviving the Narcissistic Parent: ACoNs (Adult Children of Narcissists). from The Invisible Scar site.
Posts on "Before its news" by 'Towards a New World':
The Detailed Portrait of a Sociopath
The Minionaters: How Sociopaths Play People
When Narcissists Claim to be Victims of Narcissists, Who is the Narcissist? From an upturned soul blog. Very good post, which has a list of links to various articles as well.
Personal Stories
It Happened to Me: I Dated A Sociopath Who Lied About His Mom Having Cancer. by Iliza Shlesinger, xojane.com
Videos
There are LOTS of videos under various channels on Youtube, too many to list here. this list is some of the ones I personally viewed and found most helpful and/or informative. I've quit embedding them to make the post easier to navigate. Big thanks to the people who took the time to share their own experiences and findings, it helped me for sure and I'm lots of others.
Clockwork Orange Penguins, Narcissistic Abuse and CPTSD, a youtube video of a google hangout by the Spartan Life Coach
Codependency and Loneliness. Why codependents stay with narcissists. from the Ross Rosenberg youtube channel
Covert Narcissism: The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing from the Ross Rosenberg youtube channel
Deep into the Minds of Narcissists & Sociopaths. Radio interview on the Ross Rosenberg youtube channel
Defense Against The Psychopath (Full Length Version). by Stefan Verstappen
Do Not Become a Narcissist's Flying Monkey - Manipulation With Pity - Abuse by Proxy youtube video by Gail Meyers.
Effects of Narcissistic Abuse - youtube video by Spartan Life Coach
Flying Monkeys and Narcissists. from the Narcissist Support youtube channel
How Covert Narcissists Brainwash Their Victims - youtube video by Spartan Life Coach.
How to Deal With Narcissists and Psychopaths in the Workplace Youtube interview with Sam Vaknin (a self-aware narcissist/psychopath)
How I Handled the Rage After the end of my Narcissistic Relationships - from the Narcissist Support youtube channel
How to defend yourself from narcissists. Observe don't absorb. By Ross Rosenberg.
How to take revenge on a narcissist - youtube video by Spartan Life Coach.
"If you're with a narcissist, do not...." - youtube video
Malignant Narcissists are Dangerous - from the Ross Rosenberg youtube channel
Narcissistic Abuse: From Victim to Survivor in 6 Steps youtube video by Sam Vaknin.
Narcissism LIARS from the Narcissism Survivor youtube channel
Narcissism - Narcissistic Double Victimization from the Narcissism Survivor Youtube channel
Narcissist Needs Pity - from the Narcissism Survivor Youtube Channel
Narcissistic Rage - fromt he Narcissism Survivor Youtube Channel
The Narcissist's Social Circle - youtube video from the Narcissism Survivor Youtube channel
Narcissism Why We Can't Win - youtube video from the Narcissism Survivor youtube channel
The Narcissist Smirk, Smile and Grin of Satisfaction - youtube video from the begood4000 channel
Narcissists Emotionally Abusive Phrases to Watch Out For - from the Lisa Romano youtube channel
Narcissists: Five Powerful Ways Narcissistic Abusers Get Inside Your head from the Self-Care Haven youtube channel
Spartan Life Coach Interview with Sam Vaknin on the online Narcissism sub culture. This was super interesting "empath versus narcissist" vid. Sam Vaknin is a self aware narcissist who goes on to challenge that victims who end up posting videos about their experience can come off as narcissistic.
Very Skilled Narcissists Who Will Incredibly Seduce You - video by Dr. Sam
Sociopathy In Government, Business and Society
This section of the post will contain a list of industries and institutions that may have the potential to be led by sociopaths or sociopathic ideals. Addiction -
Addiction can present as sociopathy. This isn't just limited to drugs, alcohol and gambling but could include workaholism, food addictions, eating disorders
Agribusiness
Genetic Engineering
Marketing and Regulatory Boards that punish small farms
Monocultures
Pesticide and Fertilizer Use
The fact that the largest Agribusiness Corporations manufactured chemical weapons for war and take government subsidies for farming methods that are water, chemical and fossil feul intensive.
Arts and Music Organizations
Where artists and musicians are often sensitive and empathic, members of these industries are at risk of being exploited by those seeking power
Business
Corporations are Psychopaths With Zero Degree of Empathy - a Natural News article listing off evidence on this topic.
Wage slavery
Wal-mart: The High Cost of Low Price - a documentary 2005
Charities
Where non profit work attracts empathic people, some charities may have bloated overhead expenses due to sociopaths, who have potentially lied about or exaggerated their credentials, having infiltrated executive or board positions, resulting in an inefficient use of resources
Environmental Consultants (Biostitutes)
Factory Farming
It is interesting that something so cruel and inhumane could have become "normal" in society.
Here's a video explaining how this can happen.
And a relevant quote from Gandhi: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated"
Fashion
The True Cost. very good documentary about the 'fast fashion industry' and the human and environmental costs to cheap clothes. Might still be on Netflix.
Finance
Bankruptcy Trustees as a for-profit business
Credit
The American Dream - a cartoon
Investment Funds
Real Estate Investments
"Ghost Cities" in China
Stock Market/Investment Funds
Bernie Madoff
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. book by Michael Lewis
The Federal Reserve, and fractional reserve banking in general
Here's a video that addresses this: "Century Of Enslavement - The History Of The Federal Reserve"
Food (see also factory farming, agribusiness)
Fast Food
Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side Of The All-American Meal. by Eric Schlosser, 2001, 2012
Video talk by Eric Schlosser
Fast food, Fat profits: Obesity in America. video. Al Jazeera, English
High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar
Sugar: The Bitter Truth. Lecture by Dr. Lustig, University of California Television
The Secrets of Sugar, episode of CBC's the Fifth Estate
Government
Corruption
How To Survive Corruption by Stefan Verstappen
Prisons - for profit prison system
War
Iraq For Sale The War Profiteers a documentary by Robert Greenwald
Weather Manipulation/Chemtrails
Illegal Downloading
By obtaining all of one's entertainment for free via the internet, this keeps creatives from being paid for what they do; try to support via purchases that go direct to the artists.
Media
Manufacturing Consent - Book and Documentary by Noam Chomsky (1988)
Media Corruption - Leading Journalists Expose Major Corruption In Mass Media. www.wantoknow.info
Outfoxed - Rupert Murdoch's War On Journalism - Documentary
Pharmaceutical Companies
Religious Cults
Schools and Universities
It seems that it's become a lot easier to get into university than it used to be. It also seems like universities are graduating more students than for what there exists jobs for, and more students are coming into more debt.
Society
The Psychology of Evil: TED Talk by Philip Zimbardo
Wall Street and Investments
Solutions To Sociopathy - Antidotes and more. Note that any group is at risk of coming under sociopathic control, but this list includes systems that are conducive to individual, community and environmental health
Community Art
Handmade Parade - Hebden Bridge
Community Music
HONK! Festival of Activist Street Bands
Open Air Orchestra Society - aka The Carnival Band, Vancouver BC
Playing For Change
Critical Thinking
Economic
Buy Local Movement
Local Art, Craft, Pottery
Local Food
The Work of Vanadana Shiva
Small Farms
Markets (Farmers, art, craft)
Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market
Co-ops
Farmworks Investment Co-op, Nova Scotia
Credit Unions
Crowdfunding
Financial Independence via frugality
Mr. Money Mustache - a blog
The Simple Living Guide: A Sourcebook For Less Stressful, More Joyful Living. book by Janet Luhrs, 1997
The True Cost of Commuting - pro-bicycling post from Mr. Money Mustache
Peer to Peer Lending
Philanthrocapitalism
The Gospel Of Wealth by Andrew Carnegie
Sacred Economics
Small Business
Alvarado Street Bakery - Employee-owned, non profit bakery in California that pays high wages while producing organic breads. Company Website
Education
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship, mentorship and on-the job training for some professions could possibly be an alternative to burdensome student loans
Math Skills
Lecture by Dr. Albert Bartlett: Arithmetic, Population and Energy. Dr. Bartlett believes that "The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function"
Empathy/Overcoming Apathy
Why Won't We Help Eachother Out? by Dr. Jane McGregor welldoing.org
Environmentalism
Books and Authors
Aldo Leopold - A Sand County Almanac
David Suzuki
Derrick Jensen
Farley Mowat
Rachel Carson - Silent Spring
Eco-gift Program: Federal Canadian program providing tax incentives for the donation of ecologically significant land to Land Trusts and other qualified recipients
eg. Farley Mowat gives Cape Breton Land to Nature Trust. CBC 2007
Private Land Stewardship
Farming
Community Supported Agriculture
Seed Saving
Small Farms
Farm for the Future - BBC Documentary with a happy ending about how small farms and permaculture may be the sustainable alternative to oil-intensive commercial farming
Permaculture
Health Care - personal responsibility for health as an antidote to potential abuses by drug companies
Diet
Eat to Live - book Dr. Fuhrman
Food Matters - a documentary about healing oneself with food; also now a website and online community
Raw Food
Paleo Diet
Naturopathy
Parasite Cleanses
In my own journey, having traveled to many countries and having trekked in rough conditions I discovered I had parasites, which are apparently a lot more common than people living in developed countries realized. After reading up on the Hermetic Laws I began questioning if my experiences with parasitic people (parasitic lifestyle being a key symptom of some with NPD or sociopathy) was a reflection of my internal world. As I cleansed I felt healthier and less susceptible to allowing myself to be harmed by this personality type.
Independent Media
Jesse Venture: Off The Grid
eg, Jesse Venture Youtube Video: Money Trail: Is Capitalism Killing the Environment?
The Corbett Report
Meditation and Yoga
How Yoga and Meditation Specifically Helped Me in My Recovery From Sociopath Abuse - blog post
Real Estate/ Housing
Affordable Housing
Mudgirls Natural Building Collective, British Columbia
Renewable Energy
Microhydro
Solar
Wind
Social Movements
Peace/Spirituality - just some examples of contemporary spiritual teachers, links don't denote endorsements as spirituality is an individual's connection to spirit
Abraham-Hicks
Deepak Chopra
Doreen Virtue (angel therapy)
Eckhart Tolle
Journey Of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives - book by hypnotherapist and former skeptic of reincarnation Dr. Michael Newton 2002
Louise Hay
Spirit Science - website and Youtube Channel
Teal Swan
Unify - World Peace Through Inner Peace
Sustainable Resource Management (see also Farming)
Aquaponics
Small Woodlot Management
Sociopathy In Culture
Stories and Books
1984 - by George Orwell
Animal Farm - by George Orwell
The Emperor's New Clothes
Movies
Films Featuring Sociopaths - horror movies aren't listed because there are so many
American Psycho
Animal Farm
Catch Me If You Can
The Ex
Fatal Attraction
Jonestown - Paradise Lost - about cult leader Jim Jones
Malice
Single White Female
The Talented Mr. Ripley
We Need To Talk About Kevin
Wolf of Wall Street
Films about empaths
Gandhi
It's a Wonderful Life
Miss Potter - Beatrix Potter left many acres of land to Britain's National Trust
Schindler's List
Discussion
as with the rest of this post, this section is under construction and will be refined into full sentences and paragraphs over time
How Sociopaths Gain Control
Brainwashing
"Gaslighting"
Lies, slander
Herd Mentality - what if the herd is following a sociopath? Behaviour leading to herd mentality - mirroring, social learning, aka 'monkey see, monkey do'
Switching from Empath to Apath as people that were formerly empathic find it easy to deny the sociopaths behaviour rather than to admit that something is wrong
Codependency
Weakness - sociopaths tend to pick 'prey' that are kind-hearted, full of integrity, and potentially going through other traumatic life experiences that make them more susceptible to being conned (eg, grief from a recent loss, recovery from an accident or illness, elderly)
Victim shaming
Ineffective, expensive legal system that revictimizes targets of abuse
Changes to structure of larger corporations allow for sociopathic executive directors; from a shift from companies being run by boards to having one CEO or executive director (reference: Snakes in Suits)
Suggestions for Recognizing and Responding to Sociopathic Abuse
The Empathy Trap Book contains good advice on overcoming rumination and other aspects of recovering from sociopathic abuse.
practice excellent self-care and remind yourself that it is not your fault that people exist who will tell lies and break laws to get whatever it is they want.
confine sharing to close friends/family who understand the abuse that has occurred, other targets of the sociopath, helpful support groups/forums and therapists.
realize that victims of sociopathic abuse run the risk of appearing to be sociopathic if they try to publicly defend or vindicate themselves. Risks include appearing angry, or narcissistic, or full of self pity - these states just give the sociopath who is very comfortable with telling lies, ammunition to point at the abused and make them out to be the perpetrator. It also puts the target of abuse at risk of victim shaming.
Instead, try to stay detached and calm while fact-checking statements and promises that have been made.
Accept the fact that there are individuals who are incapable of feeling empathy, remorse, or responsibility for the things that they do, and this is not something you'll ever be able to change or control.
Heed advice from forums that discourage victims of abuse from reaching out to current victims of abuse by the same perpetrator; as these people are likely to be under that perpetrator's spell, resistant to your warnings, and likely to use your statements as something to gossip about with the sociopath.
Transforming negative experiences into positive via sharing of the experience in an empowering way - many survivors of sociopathic abuse write or blog about their experience both for personal catharsis and as an attempt to educate and prevent others from having these experience; or to aid in the healing process of others.
Art, music and other creative activities can be used as ways to transform negative experience.
So can using this experience as an excuse to focus on improvements to mental, physical and spiritual health.
Recognize that while a grieving process will likely be necessary, prolonged depression or outrage over events you have no control over only extends the victimization.
Make amends and sincere apologies to any people you may have inadvertently harmed via apathy while following a sociopath. In my own journey I was surprised and relieved by how warmly these apologies and amends were received. In fact, in retrospect I question if the majority of people observing the situations I was in during periods of narcissistic abuse could see that I was naive and gullible as 'the child who goes off with the guy in the van with dark windows after being offered some candy'.
Immunize yourself from being the victim of future cons by identifying points in your relationship with the sociopath where you may have ignored 'red flags', or failed to do due diligence; or didn't listen to your intuition. The act of taking some responsibility in the dynamic could help one to feel more empowered; note this suggestion isn't intended to come across as victim-blaming but is intended to be empowering.
Recognize that "people pleasers", codependents and people who experienced child abuse are especially susceptible to abuse as adults. In my own experience, and I've read this in many other blog posts, I kept repeating the same relationship dynamic over and over until I finally recognized the pattern and why I would be attracted to and tolerant of abusive people.
Helpful links:
15 Traits of People Pleaser Syndrome - youtube video by Spartan Life Coach
Key Principles of Self Assertiveness and overcoming "People Pleaser Syndrome" - youtube video by Spartan Life Coach
Tough Love and Addiction - web page from alcoholrehab.com
Why Sociopathy exists - evolutionary adaptation of sociopathy
Sociopathy symptoms are similar to aspects of qualities of leaders.
How Sociopathy and Apathy can impact individual, community and environmental health
Modern civilization has made it easier for sociopathic systems to thrive. Modern conveniences may have brought along with them a 'learned laziness' or complacency for aspects of survival that certain individuals have grown to feel comfortable leaving in to the hands of corporations. This may be a function of herd mentality and the fact that it easier to be led than to think for oneself. For example, now many people get their food from a supermarket where they do not see the conditions in which their bacon pigs or battery hens were reared. "Out of sight, out of mind". Likewise it is easy to buy shoes from a shopping mall without having to think about deplorable working conditions of factory workers, or environmental degradation from slack regulations. It is easy to put money into an investment fund, and to expect a consistent, decent return without personally researching how those dollars are actually used and whether the projected return on investment is sustainable.
The fact that many other people are already purchasing factory farmed meat, or purchasing items made overseas in ways that violate basic human rights, or investing in funds that could potentially be harming the environment in other areas of the earth, makes it feel safer and socially acceptable. It is proposed, though, that at a soul or spiritual level different human 'beings' may intrinsically understand the brutality of some of these common systems that are supported, and internal 'knowing' may manifest as mental or physical illness.
It is easy to get up and go to work for a job without considering whether a person's job description is actually a match for the work that person is doing. Eg, 'conservation biologist' versus 'gathering data that will go into a report to sit unread on a shelf as part of the rubber stamping process for resource extraction'. Or, eg, 'conservation specialist' for a western Canadian land trust who is asked to identify land that is owned outright by that company so that it might be logged for profit. Whether the employee recognizes this cognitive dissonance or not, this person is likely to feel uncomfortable at a spiritual level. This discomfort could manifest as mental or physical illness.
How to Save the World
step away from 'herd mentality' by fostering individual critical thinking and holding those in positions of power to be accountable for their promises and actions
laws should some how change so that corporations are held accountable for human cost, community cost and environmental costs. this might be unrealistic. the answer might come from global awareness of these issues and the combined effect of many individuals changing their habits of money use.
resist temptation to classify all sociopaths as inherently evil - if only to avoid the us/them good/evil separation mentality that is part of the world's problems. actions can be evil but if the prevalence of sociopathy is as high as suggested a better approach may be more awareness of their existence. This could prevent a society from letting a sociopath to end up in charge of the country or a large corporation. As an analogy, if you know you're living somewhere where there are swarms of blood sucking insects that will feed on you in your sleep, armed with that information you can take precautions such as putting screens on windows and using netting.
Some people have sociopaths in their families where non-contact is less likely to be an agreeable option. In these cases maybe the emphasis should be on development of strong boundaries to insulate oneself against their manipulations, and on not falling into codependent or enabling behaviours that would only buffer sociopaths from the consequences of their actions
Fostering community and recognizing interdependence of all systems
Increased education about the prevalence of sociopathy in society. Increased understanding that sociopathy may not be a static state but individuals can flux through states of sociopathy, empathy, apathy and codependency via factors such as addiction, stress, mental and physical illness.
Individual responsibility and empowerment: enacting change on very small scale.
- encouraging people to see their "dollars" as "ballots" that can be used to vote for individual, community and environmental health
-stop putting time and money into sociopathic systems
-encouraging even small shifts in spending towards local economy
-resist puchasing factory farmed animal products, products with GMOs, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, other unhealthy foods, processed foods with potentially hazardous chemicals like nitrites
-encourage family and friends to value an organic, local diet that is mainly plant-based for its health and environmental benefits
-spread awareness of addiction and its impact while working towards recovery (eg. drug, alcohol, gambling, workaholism, food, sex, any other addictions)
eg. encouraging shifts in driving habits to reduce the number of car trips taken via better planning or alternate transportation such as walking, transit, cycling, carpools, carshare
-quit jobs in systems controlled by sociopaths in order to find occupations with those who aren't.
-work less hours, use co-housing to cut expenses, those people with means could look into setting up affordable rentals as a way of investing their wealth locally
-aside from food products, encourage awareness of the origin of all consumer products and try to select those that were manufactured in ways that are environmentally and human rights sensitive
eg. responsible investment: encouraging individuals with equity to take a very thorough look at where and how their investment dollars are being spent to ensure that this money isn't being used for purposes that are out of alignment with that person's beliefs and value system
Encouraging creativity in all people as a way to reconnect with spirit. eg, practice of mindfulness, yoga, meditation and similar mental/physical exercises
Encouraging increased time spent in nature and on farms and gardens to strengthen individual connection to the environment
-call out politicians on their lies and broken promises, seek to fact-check seemingly false statements, work towards creating new political parties devoid of corrupt interests. more empathic, socially conscious people could seek political office
Conclusions
Despite the fear being generated by corporate-controlled mainstream media, all is not lost
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