We all know the dreamers. Those who love nothing more than to pause everything to ponder how the world could be different. They stretch our imaginations as they paint vivid descriptions of a renewed street, or city, or country, or even the whole world. They use words like wholeness, regeneration, care economy, interconnected, interdependent, love, connection. When we feel rested and empowered, these words inspire us, fill our cups and drive us to be the best we can be. But when we are exhausted and cynical, they deflate us further, proving once more that the gap between the world as it is and how it should be is an unbridgeable chasm. We label them “visionaries”, “creative”, “idealistic” and “naive”. Amongst friends and family they are the ones with “lots of ideas”. Life continues around them like a stream flowing around a rock.
We also know the conservatives: not of the political variety. They are those who don’t hesitate to explain why something work. Why it is best to conserve things the way that they are. Why it’s not worth taking a risk or seizing an opportunity because, actually, things are ok. Life is good. Don’t you know how hard our grandparents had it? If we’re feeling rested and empowered, we rise to the challenge. Sure, it might be ok for you, in pursuit of a better world. Things are ok. In many ways they’ve never been better.