The Control Paradigm

The Control

Paradigm

The dominant paradigm in

the world today is the control

paradigm. All major cultures

contain pervasive assumptions

of control which affect all

aspects of life. Businesses seek

to dominate the market and

crush the competition. Farmers

seek to isolate their crops from

outside influences and engineer

their genes for maximum yield.

Governments seek power over

their people. Jealous lovers seek

to control their mates. Marketers

seek to convince others to buy

their products. Bosses seek to

manage their resources, thereby

keeping control of those under

them. Parents discipline their

children. Political groups fight

for their rights. Scientists seek to

harness Nature. What is a harness?

It’s a device you put on an animal

to better control it. All these words

are control words. Many of these

words have positive connotations,

but if you take a closer look at

them you’ll see that they are all

rooted in the control paradigm.

But what if we want to live?

The control paradigm tells us what to do to survive.

But wait a second. Food does grow

on trees. And trees are shelter.

Why do we have to work so hard

to buy things that grow freely out

of the ground?

Imagine a world where food and

shelter are freely available from

the Earth, and work is an optional

activity to earn money for luxuries.

That would certainly cut down on

rent and grocery bills, wouldn’t it?

Even if this life isn’t the life you

would choose, why don’t we even

see it as an option?