What if the highest-paid jobs were the ones that contributed most to society?
Stock market gurus earned less. Nurses earned more.
What if no one had to choose between doing good and making a good living?
Participant reflection
Rehearsing a new economy
Dear Economy,
We can’t go on like this. Sure, there’ve been some good times. But we can’t ignore the fact that this isn’t working:
We should have seen this coming. Maybe we did, but chose not to? Could our short-sightedness and endless pursuit of growth really have turned out
Moving on won’t be easy.
But these ideas, prompts and experiments can help us find
our way as we start over.
My next career move isn't really about money first and foremost, it's about motivation and meaning.
What makes me feel that I'm creating the greatest possible value, both for society and for myself? What makes me feel engaged and genuinely enjoy the work?
Participant reflection
What makes my life rich is time with friends and my children, watching them play, spending time in nature, caring for others, being creative, reading, moving, learning new things, and enjoying stories that remind us of what actually matters.
Almost none of it depends on what I own.
Participant reflection
What if every neighborhood had a shared workshop where people could sew, build, bake, repair things, and learn from each other?
We could share tools instead of owning them all, repair what we have, and build stronger communities.
Participant reflection
What if we completely stopped using fossil fuels? The world would be quieter. We would hear nature again, for real. And beautiful places could stay beautiful.
Participant reflection
Imagine a world without dictators, where diversity is seen as a strength, where we care for one another, use technology wisely, build resilience through circular systems, and value people, culture, and community above all else.
That is the kind of wealth that makes life rich.
Participant reflection
We should measure the amount of childrens laughter.
Participant reflection
I believe we need a fundamental change in how we live, travel, eat, work, and make decisions.
Just as important, we need better ways to measure value, ones that reflect real, long-term benefits for people and society.
Participant reflection
Today we measure economic activity, but that doesn't tell us how well people are really doing. Things I own can improve life, but they're not what matters most.
If we want to know how rich a society is, we should measure safety, relationships, health, time for people and nature, and overall well-being.
Participant reflection
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Experiments
Intermediate2-4 hoursAt work
Advanced3-6 monthsAt work
Advanced1-12 monthsAt work
Easy1-2 hoursAt workAt home
Easy1 hourAt home
Intermediate3 hours-7 daysAt work
Easy1-4 hoursAt workAt home
Intermediate2 hours - 3 weeksAt workIn community
Easy2-3 hours/monthAt work
Easy3 hours - 1 weekAt work
Intermediate2-10 daysAt work
Easy2-3 hoursAt homeAt work
Easy1-7 daysAt work
Advanced2-10 daysAt work
Advanced2-3 hours/monthAt work
Easy1-3 hoursAt work
Intermediate1-4 weeksAt home
Easy1 weekAt work
Easy1-4 weeksAt work
Easy1-3 hoursAt work
HOW
DID WE
END UP
HERE?
1776
Modern economic thinking emerges
When modern economic thinking was introduced, the global population was under 1 billion.Access to fossil energy kick-starts the Industrial Revolution. The economy starts to grow.By the 1970s, humanity first overshoots Earth’s ecological limits. From this point onward, we are living in ecological debt.Multiple Earth systems are now under stress. Yet the pace of activity and economic growth keeps accelerating.The global economy must double to maintain itself. This pushes the system towards irreversible tipping points.Climate shocks are projected to halve the global GDP. The system is on a collision course with its own limits.
Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, published in 1776, is widely cited as the intellectual starting point for modern economic thinking.
Back then, the global population was under 1 billion. Natural resources seemed infinite. On a global scale, human activity remained within Earth’s safe operating space.