One of the biggest problems in our society is the enormous environmental impact we cause as a species. Our current way of life means we are running out of resources quickly on the planet. The effects begin to look just like an announcement of what can happen. What can we do to prevent this? One answer to this question is to improve our ecological intelligence.
The traditional concept of intelligence has evolved. Today it is much broader and encompasses many other fronts, so, for example, today no one is surprised to hear terms such as emotional and social intelligence, however, one of the latest variants of this concept may be the key to reducing our impact on the environment.
- In this article.
- We’ll look at exactly what green intelligence is and how it can reduce the impact we have on our environment.
- In addition.
- We will study several keys to start improving this skill through daily work.
In 2009, Daniel Goleman (author of books also known as “Emotional Intelligence”) proposed a new concept that has since become very important in some circles of psychology. We’re talking about ecological intelligence. According to this author, it would be the ability to understand the impact of our actions on the environment.
Thus, a person with little ecological intelligence would have a very poor view of the impact of his actions on his environment, as well as a low ability to change his behavior, which would lead, for example, not to recycle or not to waste a lot of water.
Therefore, the author suggests that we begin to think more carefully about the impact of our actions, according to him, every little gesture counts. For example, actions such as buying organic products or clothing made from recycled materials can help reduce our “ecological footprint”; it would make our existence compatible with the long-term survival of the planet.
“It’s not enough to recycle or buy organic food, or even change the lights or unplug the plugs?These steps are necessary, but insufficient, because what really needs to change is the way you think. All our actions have an impact on the environment. : is denying ignorance? – Daniel Goleman-
According to Goleman, our ability to understand the impact we have on the planet is limited, being immersed in a consumerist culture that functions as a curtain, we are unable to see how our actions affect nature, this has not happened in centuries past. , when people lived and worked in the countryside. At the time, no one forgot that their survival depended on nature.
The problem of low ecological intelligence is twofold: on the one hand, the negative effects we have on the planet have increased, but in addition our own mental health is affected by the artificial world in which we live, according to several studies the more disconnected we are from the natural world, the more we tend to develop problems, such as anxiety or depression.
So if you want to live a happy and sustainable life, you must make a conscious effort to improve your ecological intelligence. But how do you get there?
To improve your ecological intelligence, collect as much information as possible about its impact on the world. For different reasons, most of us are not aware of the environmental impact of our way of life. We do not understand how much it costs to produce the food we eat, the clothes we buy, to maintain our houses or our cars?
So, to develop that capacity, the first thing is to be more aware of what you’re doing. Try to understand the small choices you make in your daily life and how they affect the world and society. Are you working by car or subway?Buy organic food or in a traditional supermarket?
Just knowing how our modern habits influence nature and thinking about it will make you start developing your ecological intelligence almost without realizing it.
However, the next step is somewhat more difficult, unless your habits are already good you will have to start changing them to more sustainable habits, they can be years of work that require you to reinvent yourself almost completely, however, the reward is second to none: you can leave a better world for your children to enjoy.