保持谦逊，亲近大地。有人告诉我，这才是存在的核心。
因此，多年来，我一直在努力践行“少即是多”的生活方式，而这个世界似乎在各个方面——经济上、身体上、心理上——都快要崩溃了。
这种想法往往会被“物超所值”的促销活动和买一送一的优惠所掩盖。
似乎我们都需要获取和扩张。这不仅仅体现在我们的个人和物质生活中。初创企业也渴望规模化——这对它们来说是至关重要的阶段。我们该如何扩张？如何实现自动化，从而加快扩张进程？
非营利组织需要收集数据来撰写“影响力”报告，以说明他们的想法不仅具有创新性，而且具有可扩展性。
发展是一场数字游戏，如果可能的话，最好是指数级增长。这才是成功的标志——数字增长。
任何事物都需要规模化。可扩展性现在就像可持续性一样——又一个原本简单的概念被搞得过于抽象和复杂。
然而，过去行之有效的方法如今已不再适用，因为我们的生活节奏如同过山车般瞬息万变。小城镇企业难以与巨头抗衡，因为它们无法“扩大规模”，或许它们根本不想这样做。因此，作为消费者，我们不得不做出选择：是选择本地“品牌”，还是选择大型企业？似乎只能二选一。
那么，可扩展性真的应该成为如此重要的关注点吗？
可持续的生活方式是规模较小的生活方式。这种生活方式与社区、地球以及彼此和谐共处。而可扩展的生活方式则要求我们超越自身局限。
如今，非营利组织要想获得大额资助，就必须证明其模式不仅适用于当地25万人口左右的社区，而且有潜力惠及数百万人。它不仅适用于洛杉矶市中心，也适用于底特律。它不仅适用于饱受干旱之苦的非洲萨赫勒地区，也适用于印度西部干旱地区。
一项事业若能超越社区范围，影响成百上千甚至数百万人的生活，便可称之为成功。一家企业若能衍生出分支机构，便可被视为成功。
规模化是我们都应该追求的目标。这是投资者所追求的，这是资助机构所寻求的，也是创业者所渴望的。
但是，我们必须扪心自问，这一切是否有极限？规模化真的能解决我们的问题吗？难道不能存在各种各样的社会企业，以各自独特的方式解决当地问题吗？难道企业不能将增长限制在地方/区域层面，依靠当地社区、资源、农业和人力资本蓬勃发展吗？
我们能否在全国范围内推广微型企业？与其设立一个中央生产和服务单位，我们能否创建规模更小、更具包容性的生态系统？
例如，我在之前的专栏中写过旧金山的自行车咖啡公司。这家公司决定手工烘焙咖啡，然后用自行车送货。这意味着他们的配送范围有限——取决于骑手们的小腿能走多远。
但该公司已经接到国际投资机构的接洽，邀请他们前往世界各地的城市展示其商业模式。那么，他们会扩大规模，还是会继续留在湾区附近发展呢？
这里的规模化可能意味着用本地化的团队、区域资源重塑商业模式，并吸收周边文化。这相当于创建微型企业，它们在不同的地方呈现出不同的面貌。没有中央资源，没有中央生产。但还能实现规模化吗？
我们能克制自己吗？我们能约束自己吗？即便我们负担得起，即便它是免费的，即便它就在我们家门口。我们能视而不见吗？我们能建立一种新的尺度——一种更小、更谦逊、更接地气的尺度，与土地的粗糙、与邻居的挣扎相连，在耕耘的土地的范围内？
我们能否拥有向内探索、加深自我认知和彼此联系的梦想，而不是向外扩张？
或许这意味着我们需要重新思考增长模式。
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Truly agree with this post. It is time to rethink and look for the scale inwards.
Love this post - I really agree that scale is not always feasible and perhaps should not be so celebrated. Making a true and deep impact in 1 community can sometimes be harder than making a superficial impact on a large scale (which is what often happens). It becomes more about the outputs than the impact.
Under the present condition, it's way to late to SCALE BACK. The world is on a roller coaster ride to bigness. :(
yes only fool makes complex and bigger and violent am also a fool. I think another one is fool if he doesn't understand the efforts paid to apologize.
Well, if sale, it was stopped sometimes ago. so feel respect please and the rest I agree the rest with Deborah harnes.
I think there is a lack of understanding. It was yesterday i said
everything are agreeable. Take that easy and once problem is solved, let
it be solved.
Let us move forward, where is the problem then? Such problems are
easily solved face to face because anything relating with feelings, it
is better to meet formally.
I am more skilled face to face if I don't fear. You just feel something
wasn't meant what it looked and then anger should not make you.
I am naturally happy tonight and would like all so one caller I am sure
if he got a tip from you dailymistrtust or not. I tell you this store
doesn't talk about your cultures and names. Leave us alone pls and pls.
[Hide Full Comment]"Rather than having one central production and service unit, can we not create smaller, more inclusive ecosystems?"
Diversity means an ecosystem is healthy. Diversity in de-centralized small scale enterprises would expand our ability to imagine and create as we are inspired by that which is different and soon bored by replications That would give us humans a chance to grow mentally, spiritually, open our sights and free our potentials.
The sustainable model is smaller but dustier? I think not, this isn't a backwards scaling this is conscious intent. The oversized lumbering corporate model is the dustiest for it is based on old science of compete and dominate. That premise supported "winner take all: attitudes that pushed the growth buttons. Now we have scientific evidence of our errors.
Cooperation, collaboration, whole systems health and welfare connected, interrelated patterns that are designed to expand stimulate possibilities. Instead we appear as stunned by a cancer "we" set loose to control the global economy and it is proving deadly.
The dis-ease is fed by a banking system run like a game of musical chairs, (more lose so fewer can win, until yup winner take all aka a nihilist prospect) So "they who were given the privilege to create money (debt) -have abused the privilege and our blind obedience to the dharma of growth is making us ill and shallow... how sad.
What has real value? Let us concentrate on building that up. Each community, group or person can stand up for that thing, action idea. Make noise, art, sing talk about the real stuff and engage others in the "change." . As we learn to help and trust each other we will start to feel healthier, stronger, more alive. The dis-ease will not thrive without our energy. Putting our energy into alternative paths, building for life, seeking to thrive and nurture everyone's potential will change everything else. We find what we seek, no?
[Hide Full Comment]Nothing wrong with growth, which - to me - seems a natural phenomenon of creation. It's the goals we humans set for our actions that badly need rethinking.