Dichotomy between the internal and the external

Yesterday, at the gym I stumbled upon a fantastic podcast called On Being with Krista Tippet. I was on the look out for western spiritual podcasts in an effort to lead a self-inquiry effort living in the western world. On Being was on the top of most highly rated podcast list.

This episode featured Jerry Colonna, a leadership coach in Silicon Valley and it was geared towards addressing the topic of bringing your whole self to work. Jerry started a profound self-exploration journey at the age of 38 when he left J.P. Morgan. The onset was a struggle to make sense of who he was independent of his work.

This is one of the lines that stuck with me. It's Krista commenting on Jerry's experience.

Something that just is in this image of you and so many people, so many of us, and so many stories that come at us secondhand, is this bizarre disconnect between what is rewarded in our society and what is actually good for us, and even what we long for.

Having recently read The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer and Waking Up by Sam Harris as a way to find answers to my quarter-century existential crisis, I was practicing with greater frequency the art of self-inquiry and questioning the roots of our suffering and joy.

The more I questioned, the more it struck me that the modern materialistic world is not conducive or designed for our happiness. It's engineered for maximal consumption and economic growth. It's designed to force us onto the hedonic wheel, a guaranteed way to suffering.

I couldn't help but wonder why we chase things that give us a short term gratification at the cost of long term losses. In the case of Jerry, why did it take him 18 years of his adult life to work out that the "success" he was experiencing was deepening the void of his inner struggles. Is it a product of the strong influence of a consumerist society? Or is it a product of seeking acceptance in a society in an effort to belong?

Regardless of the answer, what could we do to prioritise internal well-being above external pursuits? From a governmental perspective, New Zealand sets a great example. In 2019, they introduced the "The Wellbeing Budget" .

The budget requires all new spending to go toward five specific well-being goals: bolstering mental health, reducing child poverty, supporting indigenous peoples, moving to a low-carbon-emission economy, and flourishing in a digital age. - Vox

Jacinda Ardern set a great example of prioritising the well-being of her citizens rather than focusing on Gross Domestic Produce as the sole indicator of country growth. What global change would we see if more countries followed this example?

Another approach could be to craft an individual focussed education system that pushes students to inquire their interests, craft a career accordingly and help them define what success means to them. This would not only reduce the pandemic of self-worth evaluation through comparison but give them the freedom to be true to themselves. I believe AI-based systems have the potential to significantly disrupt this industry.

Or is the answer to simplify move away from society at large to some cabin in the woods in hopes of avoiding the consumerist world? To me, that option seems to be a form of escapism but I'm sure there are many that live off-grid with no regrets. I think a more effective change is to cultivate a more empathetic personal community that has stepped off the hedonic treadmill.