Extraterrestrial First Contact: Surviving in Society

The world is changing rapidly. Human challenges are growing- climate change, political division, workplace issues, mental health problems, and financial burdens. We all feel it in one way or another. So, what do we do? You could build a compound or live in a survivalist community if you have the resources. But such thinking is based on the premise of sudden and immediate threat. That doesn’t seem to be how things are going. Our human problems appear to be getting worse incrementally. 

Perhaps that calls for an alternative response: surviving in society. You have a bake sale at your daughter’s school tomorrow. Your co-workers are counting on you to participate in a big project. Your family wants to go someplace fun this weekend. You’re not prepared to give that up. You want to face our many challenges and remain a part of society. Hell, maybe we could even make things better by working together? 

I suggest being a Society Solutionist- a solver of problems or puzzles. It implies that rather than just complaining about how things are, we put our skills to use and find practical, grassroots ways to solve problems. 

Home: Do what you can to reduce your carbon footprint. Cut waste in food and consumer products. Instill in your family the power of positivity when it comes to facing challenges. Vote for those leaders who will make the changes you want to see. 

Work: Consider work as community and ask that your administrators consider it a community. Rebuild the trust between workers and the workplace. 

Neighborhood: Share ideas, then lead and participate in local projects together. Get to know your neighbors and find commonalities, even if you have different political beliefs. 

Join neighborhoods together: Each neighborhood is connected, build on that power to create widespread change. 

Help others: Do your part to help people who are challenged by precarity- the state of persistent economic and social insecurity, especially for the disadvantaged. Those numbers are increasing each day. More and more people are subject to economic stress and climate challenges. 

If extraterrestrial First Contact does occur someday, it’s unlikely that alien representatives are going to solve our problems. Humans need to work together. 

Photo by Joeyy Lee on Unsplash