Book Review: Hospicing Modernity - Facing Humanity's Wrongs and the Implications for Social Activism

We are reading Hospicing Modernity in Book Club (and beyond) in

Earth Regenerators⁠

. The wonderful folks at

Bookshop.org⁠

say:

'This book is not easy: it contains no quick-fix plan for a better, brighter tomorrow, and gives no ready-made answers. Instead, Vanessa Machado de Oliveira presents us with a challenge: to grow up, step up, and show up for ourselves, our communities, and the living Earth, and to interrupt the modern behavior patterns that are killing the planet we're part of.'

I am almost half way through the book, and my awareness of the deeply hidden blind spots I am holding has grown immensely. I also learned to see why some of the most beautiful heart-centered projects fail because of unconscious 'modernity' patterns that limit us and the project.

Because of the book, I am learning how important it is to provide palliative care for the systems we are leaving behind. If we don't listen and understand with a compassionate heart to what the dying systems have to say, we essentially ignore the 4th quadrant of Integral Theory 'systems and structures' - see my

Week 3⁠

Syntropic Masterclass Notes.

⁠

The 4 Quadrants are a tool for remembering.

So, when we don’t listen to the voices of the fourth quadrant, whatever project we want to steward, it will only become another version of 'Modernity' - 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, ...

Vanessa speaks from her experience and research in international development, and shares exercises that have supported teachers, NGO practitioners, and global changemakers. For example, one exercise helps me to change my perspective on polarization by allowing all the voices that are present inside and outside me to speak when I experience polarization, and I simply listen from my heart for as long as I need to listen. It helps me immensely with my patience practices.

She also shares an expansive practice list called 'Co-sensing with Radical Tenderness'. It's truly beautiful! My four favorites are:

💓 Renounce unrestricted autonomy and the obsession with form. Find stability in the rhythm beneath the movement.

💓 Listen to unuttered wisdom, nurturing intrinsic rather than productive value.

💓 Tune in rather than empathize with. There's a difference.

💓 Turn the heart into a verb: corazonar, senti-pensar.

For me this book is a perfect companion for the incredible learning journey I am on, the Syntropic Masterclass. Follow my honey harvest from the class here:

Honey from my Syntropic Masterclass Learning Journey⁠

No easy work, but truly rewarding.

With gratitude,

Kath 💚

⁠

June 30, 2022

⁠

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