So I had a general comment I wanted to make in class about Blessed Unrest during our discussion today, but because it never really fit into the conversation I kept it to myself. It was one of those situations where by the time I had figured out how to articulate it, my comment no longer seemed relevant, but I’d still like to throw it out there in case it speaks to anyone, hence this post.

I agree with what seemed to be a widely acknowledged critique of the book, namely that it isn’t much of a prescription for action. While this may be true, the book wasn’t about that for me, and to fall into that mindset seems dangerous since one of the most powerful messages in the book was the idea that trying to understand everything is futile. What really struck me about Hawken was his ability to take a step back and look at the earth, and humanity, from a distance. I’m thinking of the analogy to the human body, an unfathomably complex system, and the way it relates to my point about the futility of trying to understand how the world works. The thought of an individual human cell trying to understand how the entire body functions is almost laughable, and immensely humbling. I’m digressing, but the point I’d like to make is that while this book may not furnish us as readers with specific actions that we can take to improve the world, that’s okay, because we don’t necessarily have to understand the direct, or indirect, implications of our efforts in order for them to make a difference. What about Hawken’s mention of the Axial age, and how those who lived during that time probably had no idea what the long-term results of their philosophies and behaviors would be and how they would affect people thousands of years later? Who knows what impact the work of millions of NGOs will have down the line? For me, the book was about the feeling I got when I was reading it. As I finished the last 10 pages this morning, I literally felt buzzed, like drunk buzzed. I don’t know how to describe it, or explain how a book could make me feel that way. But I just had this sense that even if I never figure out how something I do will contribute to this unnamed movement in the grand scheme of things, all that matters is that I do contribute and, at the risk of sounding obscenely romantic and cliché, chances are everything will work out in the end.

Hope that was coherent, and apologies for the length. I just felt like I needed to get if off my chest, so thanks for reading.