Representations and the represented

In ancient culture, there was a tendency to remain silent about what was essential in life. Today, we are more attentive to words than to reality. This subtle shift from reality towards the representation of reality is one of the reasons why we don’t transition to the Ecocene. Words and images are at the forefront of our consciousness. That’s why politicians are not held accountable for not fulfilling campaign pledges. That’s why sustainable fashion is more important than sustainable action. That’s why vegan or zero waste labels matter more than living with little resources. That’s why greenwashing is an acceptable business model. There is often a strong disconnect between what we represent and what we are. And we became used to this as being normal. What would a world look like in which the representation and the represented are the same? How would that catapult us towards acting in ways that are “_right_”? How would we feel when our representation matches us?