Is it Time to End Our Fixation on Growth and GDP?

A few years back I learned of an organization called the Slow Money Institute, a Colorado-based non-profit dedicated to catalyzing the flow of capital to local food systems; connecting investors to the places where they lived; promoting new principles of fiduciary responsibility that “bring money back down to earth; and transitioning us from an era of Making a Killing to one of Making a (healthy) Living. “Ground-up” economics? I like it.

Now, though, after two years of global tyranny – as I see it — aka The Great Reset slash Fourth Industrial Revolution, I am so ready for some compassionate, non-restrictive, humane governance, and I’m not alone. Around the globe, movements have begun, and we’re seeing like-minded people coming together to form supportive, heart-felt, self-governing communities. Along with that is a push for local agriculture, too.

And why not? Look where the old, now well-corrupted system has gotten us. Does it even make sense to focus on things like GDP growth or employment numbers anymore when so many small businesses and regular people are suffering and distraught? As Jeff Deist of the Mises Institute said in the Planet Lockdown documentary, and I paraphrase, ‘You can’t shut down the economy to supposedly protect people’s health and well-being. Economic and financial health is an integral part of our well-being.’ I think he’s spot on. So, what if — as measures of success and “how we’re doing” — we started to look at social and environmental outcomes, with well-being and quality of life as our main indicators?

In a recent survey of millennials entitled “How We Gather,” they found that this generation is more concerned with quality of life than a paycheck. Additionally, they said they would prefer to work with companies with a positive mission; and to feel a sense of purpose. At its core, aren’t they redefining what success looks like? And doesn’t that hold true for most of us, assuming we have a solid base income supporting us…or we live comfortably on a farm or some rugged, DIY setting?

Since I don’t believe this has much to do with traditional economics – though in full disclosure I am not an economist – is it time to rethink how we ‘do’ business? Run our economies? How we compete, or even better, cooperate with one another?

Speaking of competing, the idea that ‘it’s a jungle out there and we must compete for our place,’ was largely based around the Survival of the Fittest theory we all grew up with. This concept has largely been defining how we approach school, life, work, business, etc. Yet, were you aware that the Survival of the Fittest theory was proven false some twenty years back? (Probably not, because that would have rocked the proverbial boat.) It turns out though, that most of nature succeeds through cooperation, not competition. Those competing to survive… are the exceptions. Isn’t it time, then, to tie our metrics the correct natural standards? To move into an era of cooperation?

As a final note, let me give you something to dream about. I heard someone say recently that in the future, “your abundance will be linked to the size of your heart.” Nice! And no, I don’t see that as any kind of economic metric, but can you imagine the kind of amazing experience you’d have if people lived like this?

@JimGrapek is an award-winning writer/producer/director and a long-time advocate for liberty, informed consent, and a person’s right to choose whatever health care they want. Jim is also the Founder and CEO of The Pavilion, a next generation, EPCOT-like community hub for healthy, conscious living – to enable people to live well at any age. Jim can be reached at JHGrapek@ThePavilionCenter.com