- wording - rediscover our culture - people can do things outside of profit motive - who pays you to make food or spend time with friends -> you don't need profit motivation to do everything - what would you not sell for what you could get for it. -> market value does not capture intangible emotional value - what value of your job is non-financial? - are you happy with your current compensation? - Would you do your current job if you were paid enough to live your current life style, but never retire? - Would you do your current job if you were had to downgrade your lifestyle? - would you do your current job if you weren't paid? - freedom is security and you can't save to security - security of basic needs - physical security of a high trust environment - consumerism creates discontent - (marketing, advertising) -> comparison -> envy -> greed -> scarcity(artificial) -> fear -> individualism - if you weren't afraid of being homeless, starving, dying of thirst, what could motivate you? What if you also got electricity and air conditioning and high speed internet? What if you also got a sense of physical security by living in a high trust community? What if you got emotional security of knowing people counted on you and your efforts had a visible positive impact on the community? ## Current Cultural Programming ### Scarcity Mindset Development 1. Early Conditioning - "There's not enough to go around" - "You have to get yours before someone else does" - "Life is a zero-sum game" - "Success means having more than others" 2. Educational Reinforcement - Competitive grading systems - Individual achievement emphasis - Standardized testing hierarchies - Limited resource allocation in schools 3. Media Programming - Constant advertising creating `artificial needs` - News focusing on resource competition - Entertainment glorifying individual success over collective wellbeing - Social media promoting comparison and `status anxiety` 4. Economic Messaging - "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps" - "Time is money" - "Market value determines real value" ### Deeply Embedded Cultural Myths 1. The Self-Made Individual - Myth: Success is purely individual achievement - Reality: All achievement relies on collective infrastructure and support - Current Impact: Justifies inequality and resource hoarding - Required Shift: Recognizing interdependence while valuing individual contribution 2. Competition Drives Innovation - Myth: Only profit motivation drives progress - Reality: Most fundamental innovations come from collective/public research - Current Impact: Restricts knowledge sharing and collaborative potential - Required Shift: Understanding cooperation drives real innovation 3. Market Value Equals Real Value - Myth: Price accurately reflects worth - Reality: Many essential things (air, care work, community) have no price - Current Impact: Devalues crucial but non-marketable contributions - Required Shift: Recognizing multiple forms of value 4. Scarcity is Natural - Myth: There's never enough to go around - Reality: We have abundance in many areas but create artificial scarcity - Current Impact: Justifies hoarding and competition - Required Shift: Recognizing abundance potential through cooperation ## The Path to Cultural Transformation ### Foundation: Security as Enabler 1. Basic Needs Guarantee - Removes survival anxiety #important - Enables long-term thinking - Allows focus on contribution over competition #important - Builds trust in collective support 2. Relationship Security - Community bonds provide emotional safety - Mutual support creates practical security - Shared success reduces status anxiety #important - `Collective resilience replaces individual insurance` #important - you don't buy a life insurance plan to support your family, you rely on the community to support your family if you die 3. Knowledge Security - Shared skills ensure community capability - Open access to learning opportunities - Validated contribution paths - Collective problem-solving capacity ### Motivation Without Traditional Incentives 1. Intrinsic Motivators - Mastery and skill development - Purpose and meaningful contribution - Autonomy in choosing how to contribute - Recognition from community - Direct connection to impact 2. Community-Based Incentives - Increased community capability benefits everyone - Reputation through genuine contribution - Expanded access to community resources - Greater influence in community decisions - Deeper social connections 3. Natural Consequences - Direct feedback from results - Visible impact of work - Community appreciation - Personal growth opportunities - Enhanced collective capabilities ### Common Resistance Points and Responses #### "But people are naturally selfish" Modern research in evolutionary biology, anthropology, and psychology shows that humans are actually predisposed toward cooperation and that our species' success comes primarily from our ability to work together. What we often interpret as "natural selfishness" is actually learned behavior reinforced by systems that reward competition and punish cooperation. In smaller communities throughout human history, cooperation has been the dominant survival strategy. When people can directly see how their actions affect others and experience the benefits of mutual support, cooperative behavior becomes the rational choice. Our current society's emphasis on competition isn't "natural" - it's a recent development in human history, and one that runs counter to our evolutionary advantages as a species. #### "This sounds like communism" What we're proposing is fundamentally different from state communism - it's participatory direct democracy at a `human scale` where people make decisions about the resources and systems that directly affect their lives. Rather than centralized control by a distant state, this model is about `local communities managing their own resources and production` based on actual needs and capabilities. Individual agency isn't sacrificed to a collective - instead, it's enhanced by removing artificial barriers to personal growth and contribution. The focus is on voluntary association and practical democracy where people directly participate in decisions affecting their lives, `rather than top-down control`. This is about `bringing democracy to the economic sphere`, not eliminating individual freedom. #### "What about ambition?" Far from stifling ambition, this model actually opens up more avenues for personal growth and achievement by removing artificial barriers and providing more resources for individual development. In our current system, ambition is largely channeled into `financial accumulation` because that's what `provides security` and opportunity. When basic needs are secure and resources are available to all, people can `pursue ambition in more diverse and meaningful ways` - through innovation, skill mastery, community leadership, artistic expression, or scientific discovery. Many of history's greatest achievers, from artists to scientists, were motivated by the desire to contribute and create rather than accumulate wealth. This system allows ambition to serve human flourishing rather than just wealth accumulation. #### "Won't people just freeload?" In small communities where people know each other and can see the direct impact of their contributions, freeloading becomes much less appealing both socially and practically. `Current systems encourage freeloading` at the top through mechanisms like inherited wealth, capital gains, and corporate welfare, while stigmatizing those at the bottom who need support. In a community where everyone's basic needs are met and contribution is tied to real impact rather than abstract metrics like profit, `most people naturally want to contribute because it provides meaning, builds relationships, and develops valuable skills`. Research on universal basic income experiments shows that when people's basic needs are met, they don't stop working - they often become more productive because they can focus on meaningful contribution rather than mere survival. #### "It would never work in practice" Elements of this system are already working in various communities around the world - from cooperative businesses to `community land trusts` to `mutual aid networks`. What we're proposing isn't a utopian break with reality but a practical synthesis of proven approaches scaled to optimal human community size. The current system of market capitalism is actually the more unstable and unrealistic model, requiring constant government intervention to prevent collapse and producing repeated crises. Our proposal is based on `human-scale solutions` that have worked throughout history but were `displaced by industrialization and centralization`. With modern technology and knowledge, we can implement these principles even more effectively while avoiding the isolation and alienation of current society. #### "This would reduce innovation and progress" Much of humanity's most important innovation has come from collaboration and shared knowledge rather than competition and secrecy. The Internet, key medical discoveries like the polio vaccine, and fundamental scientific research all emerged from collaborative rather than competitive frameworks. Our current system actually stifles innovation through patents, trade secrets, and `the need to make new discoveries profitable rather than just useful`. When people are free to share knowledge and resources, and when `innovation is driven by real human needs rather than market demands`, we often see more meaningful progress. Plus, by distributing expertise throughout the community rather than concentrating it in institutions, we create more opportunities for innovative combinations of knowledge and skills. #### "I worked hard for what I have" This system actually ensures that hard work and contribution are more directly rewarded than in our current system, where the biggest rewards often go to those who `manipulate financial instruments` rather than those who create real value. It's not about taking away what people have earned, but about creating a system where everyone's work can contribute to both individual and collective prosperity. `Many people work incredibly hard` in our current system yet `struggle to meet basic needs`, while others accumulate vast wealth through inheritance or capital ownership rather than actual work. This model ensures that contribution is recognized and rewarded while eliminating the artificial scarcity that makes basic security feel like a zero-sum game. ### Practical Steps in Cultural Reprogramming 1. Early Stage - Identify ingrained market-thinking patterns - Practice abundance mindset in small ways - Build trust through small collective wins - Start skill-sharing practices - Create non-monetary exchanges 2. Middle Stage - Develop community resource sharing - Build collective decision-making muscles - Create visible success metrics beyond money - Establish mutual support systems - Practice collective problem-solving 3. Advanced Stage - Implement full resource sharing - Establish community production systems - Develop complex collective governance - Create external exchange systems - Build inter-community networks ## Success Indicators 1. Individual Level - Reduced anxiety about basics - Increased sense of security - More meaningful relationships - Greater sense of purpose - Expanded opportunities for growth 2. Community Level - Higher trust - More innovation - Better resource utilization - Increased resilience - Stronger social bonds 3. System Level - Reduced waste - More sustainable practices - Better knowledge sharing - Increased collective capability - Greater adaptability ## Conclusion The shift from scarcity to abundance thinking isn't just philosophical—it's practical. When basic security is established, natural human tendencies toward cooperation and contribution can flourish. The key is creating structures that align individual and collective interests, making cooperation the rational choice rather than an idealistic goal.