我最近有机会和电影制作人凯蒂·蒂格坐下来聊了聊，她正在拍摄一部关于金钱与增长的电影。金钱是金融的燃料，进而推动经济发展，最终成就了“发达”世界。这是一个持续不断、无限循环增长的世界；如果没有这种增长，我们的大多数公民将真的会死去，因为工作机会会消失，人们将无法负担基本生活必需品……但这真的是事实吗？
宏观层面的真理同样适用于微观层面。随着我们生活和事业的成长，每年加薪是理所当然的。为什么？因为加薪是成长的标志。成长是好事——不成长简直就是反美。你没加薪？你没有成长？那你肯定不行。
但为什么只有一种衡量成长的方式呢？如果我明年涨薪10%，但饮食更不健康，与亲朋好友相处的时间更少，或者做了更多利己的事情，我真的成长了吗？仅仅因为数字容易衡量，就代表一切吗？
除了经济方面的成长，还有其他一些成长途径：
- 培养慷慨之心（付出更多）
- 培养同情心（与人/地球建立更深层次的联系）
- 增强身体健康（更注重“生活方式习惯”）
- 提升心理健康（对世界有更深入的了解/理解）
- 在家庭/社区中成长（基于共同价值观与他人建立更多更深厚的联系）
- 在平衡/智慧方面不断成长（持续朝着内外更深层次的和谐迈进）
在快乐中成长！（每一刻都充满更深层次的喜悦）
如果每年年底，我们对所有这些指标以及财务状况进行全面评估，结果会如何？这会改变我们的行为吗？
所有这些理念都难以衡量，但当你拥有或不拥有时，你自然会知道。反之，从长远来看，金融增长实际上具有破坏性。从宏观层面来看，我们追求的财富超过了生物本能来满足我们永无止境的需求，加剧了不平等，导致犯罪、疾病和教育水平低下，并在文化中构建了一种交易型（ 而非信任型）思维模式。从微观层面来看，随着我们经济能力的增长，我们的腰围、压力水平、平均债务以及与他人的疏离感也会随之增加。
那么该怎么办呢？即便我是对的，那岂不是意味着我们注定要失败，因为我们身处一个要求无限增长的体系之中……对吗？不，并非如此。任何事都可以改变，但有些事比其他事更难。我们谈论的是一个长期的工程，是对许多根深蒂固的信念进行系统性的解构。现在已经有人在做这件事了（以各种方式）。但要拒绝唾手可得的愉悦并非易事。
这又给我们提供了一个理由，让我们练习内省。随着时间的推移，我们或许更容易不再受这些欲望的驱使，而是真正开始采取能够带来真正成长的行动。如果这种情况同时发生在许多人身上，那么一场摆脱无休止、永无止境、如同毒瘤般的金钱增长的运动就此拉开序幕。然后呢？谁知道会发生什么呢？人们常说，未来已来，只是尚未普及而已 :)
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I like the "growing in fun" bit! :)
Thanks for sharing. I wonder if there is a holistic personal growth matrix that is already developed and being used out there?
Also, an effectively created holistic growth measurement matrix in education sector would be very useful to have, as I am an educator and seeking these types of assessment resources...
Any organizations, schools, people using this type of measurement system effectively would be of great interest to learn about. So please do pass on the info. Thank you.
@tayloraue:disqus I taylor Aue
what happened at the third world country's organization?
did the organization not serve the people ? and staff's salary increased ! is that a problem if the the staff worked harder as director's role or work becomes harder. things need a lot of carefulness before just saying words that don't relate too many certainties.
By Noor
Financial, academic and skills are what we need in order to attain a maximum life benefits.
I hope I have some of them and need more of them. As age goes by we will get. All it takes is patience and be pertinacious
Love what you say. I feel the same thoughts could be applied to education.
In that arena, the biggest measure of growth is test scores - i.e. grades and academic skills. What if all of those other areas you listed are also counted as indicators of growth. Not easy to measure like the scores, but I would argue even more valuable in the bigger picture of how do we create better lives for all.
How many times did you used trigonometry last week? How many times would a skill like managing a conflict in a healthy way have been useful? Trigonometry is not a bad thing (or chemistry etc), but does everybody have to learn them? Are these essential skills everyone must have? Critical thinking can be taught through many vehicles.
What if the very purpose of school - of this 12 (or more) year mandated subsidized training program we all go through, were to create a better (i.e. more peaceful, more joyful, more sustainable) life for all? What would we teach?
[Hide Full Comment]I like the intent and the spirit. But I disagree with the assertion that financial growth is inherently destructive. It's not an indefensible assertion, but I don't think it was adequately defended here. It's plain to see that there is plenty of supporting evidence that financial growth is, in fact, driving forces of inequality and suffering. However, I believe that this result is a perversion (albeit an increasingly popular one) of financial progress and not a fundamental of the pursuit.
Take for instance a non-for-profit organization that serves humanity's basic needs in some third world country. In its infancy, this hypothetical organization was likely conceived by a person, or group of people whose time was given pro-bono. As the organization grew and the demands on these peoples time became greater, they either became full time salaried directors, and/or hired some part-time paid help to handle the administrative duties of the organization. And as they continued to grow, these part time employees became full time, and the directors likely took modest increases to their salaries. Assuming no fraudulent or unethical financial practices, this company has served to create financial growth for its employees as it serves the greater good of humanity.
So while it's fair to say that financial growth certainly can be counter-productive, I think it's unfair to assume that this must always be the case.
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