Social contracts shape our lives in profound ways. From the daily norms and expectations of behavior to laws and regulations, social contracts are not only ever-present, they are ever-shifting.
As we adjust to life in a new era predicated on the irreversible human impact on our planet, we should expect that our social contracts will begin to shift more rapidly and stall in frustrating ways.
Humans can only handle so much change at once, but change we must learn to handle and initiate.
We can see it with something as simple as mask mandates versus suggested mask wearing across different regions. Different social climates adhere to different social contracts.
This is one of the key reasons that I moved to the Bay Area: generally speaking there is a greater appreciation for and desire to integrate the arts, especially in education.
Even in culturally rich regions like the Bay Area, the toll of rapidly changing social contracts in one area like health mandates or housing initiatives for the homeless seem to stall progress in less externally obvious domains like funding for arts integration and individualized education.
The physical health of large numbers of people and shelter for a staggering number of homeless is more urgent than the creative development of children, but if we pause to look at long-term societal needs: creative problem solving and leadership skills are imperative domains to develop in the kids who will one day create new social contracts and legislation that address these issues.
So, what if instead of relying on larger entities to generate the changes we want to see in the world... What if instead of throwing our hands up in defeat because the problems of the world feel too big to make a difference...
What if we each looked inside of ourselves to uncover the tug on our hearts and souls? What if we each took the initiative to begin a new social contract with ourselves?
Even if that internal agreement only makes a small impact, imagine what would happen over a lifetime. Enough internal agreements to inch toward necessary change in our own unique way... Well that's the beginning of another revolution. One that might just be the panacea for this wild new Anthropocene era we are living through.
I realize this may sound overly idealist to you. That's okay. This idealist is digging deep and she's doing her part to shape the creativity and character of thousands of future leaders, one CosmicKID at a time.
I invite you to pursue the calling on your heart and make the impact only you can make by beginning a new social contract with yourself.
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