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Anything which is not growing is dying.
That concept has stuck in my mind. It's amazing the way in which people can pick a point to support their own views. And miss the contradictions.
You can't see the forest for the trees.
There's another nifty little aphorism. Let's consider the two together.
A tree grows. Then it stops growing -- because it is dying. The tree dies.
A forest is made up of a lot of trees. A forest may have mountains on one side, desert on another, ocean at every other boundary. The forest has no room to grow. Yet it is not dying.
A forest is made up of a lot of trees. Individual trees sprout, grow, then die. Yet the forest is not dying.
A forest is not affected by the growth and death of individual trees. A forest may continue -- live -- successfully without any overall growth. The individual parts -- trees -- grow and die but the forest does not. Yet it is not stagnant.
A forest may be a vibrant, living organism, even though it is not growing. Perhaps change -- of individual trees -- may help the forest to thrive, as environmental conditions change. In a prolonged drought some trees may die. When it rains, trees may grow faster. But the living forest is not "growing".
We can do the same.
Look past the individual. Look at society as a living entity. There is no need for continuous growth.
What is important is life.
A living society -- like a living forest -- can be vibrantly successful without the need for constant growth of the society. Individuals may change and grow and die. Society can be successful -- a successful environment for the life of individuals -- with no need for continuous growth.
Don't just use the aphorisms. Think about them. Understand the broader possibilities. Open your mind. Think, learn and only then, act.
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