Substance Matters!

Facts Itself Don’t Change People’s Mindsets!

Washington DC Area May 17, 2023

It takes a catalyst to evoke change. People act a certain way, the way they think, and for whatever reason they think that way.

Their behavior may be due to causes such as ignorance, stubbornness, indifference, moral and religious thoughts, or scientifically accepted knowledge. We know from neuroscience that they can hold on to their attitude even when they are wrong and confronted with reality. A dissenting opinion has its roots in different sources of information to which each brain responds.

In addition, the right amygdala, one of the two almond-shaped clusters in the brain responsible for negative emotions such as fear, triggers information to other brain regions and takes a flight or fight position in response.

We all know it all too well: children fighting over a toy, adults striving for power, or worse, nations starting wars that harm the world.

A system, such as a society or even the universe, consists of instabilities that are necessary to keep the system viable and under control until the instabilities exceed a threshold at which disorder occurs with uncontrollable outcomes.

The fact is that none of these actions can last forever; rather, a conversation would solve the problems with mutual respect through give and take. However, this is seen as a weakness in a macho world. We trade intelligence for dominance and play poker with people who might die in order to satisfy the prestige of power-obsessed leaders.

Talking is indeed better than fighting. We are children of the Earth. This place is not ours and we have to get along with Nature, otherwise, we can no longer exist here. Nature will react to our global living behavior accordingly. We have it in our own hands to turn the tide.

All our precious resources were once supplied by the stars 4.5 billion years ago. We should use them wisely. A substitute supply has not been negotiated.

Our fossil resources such as oil, coal, and gas are the result of 300 million years of deposition by plants and animals in which greenhouse gases have been safely trapped. We can not afford to continue to use fossil fuels as our preferred energy source, burning them and releasing stored greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to satisfy our lifestyle of endless growth. This is an illusory choice with massive long-term consequences for humanity. This is also a fact.

The Choice Is Ours!

Peter Keuter is an independent writer, and his views are not affiliated with any company or political party.

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