Our continued acceptance of this world view as the absolute truth and the only valid way to knowledge has led to the current global crisis and propels us ever closer to social collapse through environmental destruction. Now, as history's veil enshrouds the events of the twentieth century, the cherished cultural values of the reductionistic mechanical world view are in deadly grapple with the revelations of science that increasingly challenge that view. The differing perspectives define the terms of debate. In my experience as a facilitator helping to resolve environmental conflicts, the more product oriented a person is the more resistant he or she is to change. It does not exist in Nature.
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
Conversely, the more of a systems thinker a person is the more likely he or she is to agree with Helen Keller and risk change on the strength of its unseen possibilities. A product-oriented person is likely to be a rural resident very much concerned with land ownership and property rights, wanting free rein to do as he or she pleases on his or her property, at times without regard for the consequences for future generations. The more product- oriented a person is the greater is the tend to place primacy on humans of one's own race, creed, and religion, as well as on one's own personal needs, however they are perceived. The more product-oriented a person is the greater the tendency to disregard the land's sustainable capacity. A systems thinker, on the other hand, is most often an urban dweller, who is likely to be concerned about the welfare of others, including those of the future and their nonhuman counterparts.