Thinking about issues like climate change can be distressing. There are tipping points that could “cause Earth systems to shift dramatically, irreversibly and with potentially devastating effects”, which could bring about “potentially catastrophic consequences for life on Earth” (The Guardian). Meanwhile, scientists report that the world is warming up and it’s happening faster (NYT, reproduced in the ST).
How is this supposed to add to the meaning we experience in life?
One conceptual shift we have to take is to separate the kind of knowledge we can get from textbooks (propositional knowledge) from the kind we get from knowing how to do something, like riding a bike or playing the guitar (procedural knowledge). Knowing that we need to take action on the climate is one thing. Actually taking action is another.
As one of my army mates put it: life is simple, you just have to be a good person. (He actually said something more like: Seah, dun need to think so much la! Be a good person can already!)
But what can we do?
If you are a student, you have the opportunity to develop informational competence (say, through the General Paper (8881) / GP syllabus). From that place of knowledge, we can appreciate our place in the world, and from that fulcrum point, take the right action.
Perhaps your place will be to advocate for degrowth, or work through the nitty-gritty of ensuring adequate food supply for your region in the coming decades, or to start a business that figures out how to ensure our quality of life while having the smallest ecological footprint possible (like Fairphone, which I am absolutely enamoured with).
You can develop the long-term goal of being useful to your society, instead of only trying to amass wealth for no particular reason.
Knowing how to be useful to your community, actually being useful, and being recognised for it? Now THAT sounds meaningful.
Are you looking for an English/GP/Literature tutor? For one-on-one lessons or group lessons, please send an email to kevinseahsg@gmail.com, or call/SMS/whatsapp 97700557 (Singapore only). I’m not always at my phone, so if I don’t pick up, please leave me an SMS to let me know you’re looking for a tutor.
Mr Seah (dotcom!) 
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