2019 Articles

Rethinking Our Vision of Success

Pollack, Robert

The document "Rethinking Our Vision of Success" by Robert Pollack explores the challenges humanity faces in redefining what it means to be successful in the context of ecological sustainability and the survival of future generations. Pollack reflects on how our current societal measures of success—focused on material accumulation and short-term gains—are at odds with the long-term survival of the species and the planet. He draws parallels between cancer cells and humanity’s exponential growth, suggesting that like a tumor, our unchecked expansion threatens the larger system. Pollack advocates for a shift in perspective where success is measured by sustainability and equilibrium with the natural world, rather than by immediate achievements. He emphasizes the need for new languages and frameworks that prioritize the future over the present and argues for the importance of global cooperation and education in fostering this new vision of success.