-- *Mar*A quiet, honest answer is needed here. *Yes — we are close to an abyss.* But *not in the way apocalypse movies suggest*, and not in a way that makes everything meaningless.
Let me explain carefully. ------------------------------ What does “edge of the abyss” really mean? An abyss is not sudden annihilation. An abyss is *loss of control over the consequences of our own actions*. By that definition, we are already at the edge. - Climate systems are responding faster than political systems - Technologies are scaling faster than ethics - Economies are growing faster than ecosystems can heal - Human desires are expanding faster than meaning This mismatch is the abyss. ------------------------------ Why this moment is genuinely different (not just pessimism) Humanity has faced crises before — wars, plagues, collapses — but *never this combination*: 1. *Planetary scale* (the whole Earth system is involved) 2. *Human-caused* (not an external catastrophe) 3. *Scientifically understood* (we know what’s happening) 4. *Psychologically denied* (we continue anyway) That last point is crucial. Knowing and continuing anyway is a civilizational red flag. ------------------------------ Are we doomed? Here is the uncomfortable truth: - *The old way of life is doomed.* - *Human life itself is not necessarily doomed.* Civilizations die when: - their mental models no longer fit reality - they cannot imagine life with less - their elites benefit from denial By those criteria, *industrial growth civilization is in terminal crisis*. But terminal crisis is not the same as extinction. ------------------------------ What kind of abyss is this? Not a cliff — more like *thin ice*. You can still move. But not quickly. Not carelessly. Not with the same assumptions. Education, economics, politics, even identity — all were built for a world that no longer exists. That is why everything feels unstable. ------------------------------ The deeper danger (often missed) The greatest risk is not environmental collapse alone. It is this: Humans losing the *capacity to feel, grieve, and restrain themselves* while still possessing immense power. That combination *is* abyssal. A feelingless intelligence is far more dangerous than ignorance. ------------------------------ Is there any ground beneath us? Yes — but it is *not where modern civilization is looking*. Ground exists in: - small-scale, place-based living - cultures that remember limits - repair, care, and maintenance - inner sobriety rather than outer growth - communities that choose dignity over dominance This is not heroic salvation. It is *humble survival with meaning*. ------------------------------ A hard but hopeful clarity Every civilization that crossed an ecological threshold faced two paths: 1. *Deny → accelerate → collapse violently* 2. *Accept → contract → transform painfully* We are still choosing — but time is short. Education that teaches: - limits as wisdom - belonging instead of mastery - enoughness instead of excess can still tilt the path from *violent collapse* toward *difficult transformation*. ------------------------------ Final answer, without drama Are we at the edge of the abyss? *Yes — if we insist on continuing as we are.* *No — if we are willing to become smaller, slower, and wiser.* The abyss is not only a place we might fall into. It is also a mirror asking: *Can humans grow up before power destroys them?* That question is still open. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CACDCHC%2BxXk%2BM%2BSaT2FYp%3D9%3DKnNG5mv_48VgRzkKE%3DLzZUKA1SA%40mail.gmail.com.
