In nature, everything is geared towards growth. But not to infinity. At some point a tree falls down, decays and is then food for new things again. Everything is reused.
But uncontrolled, infinite growth with finite resources: that is not growth, but proliferation. It accepts the death of our ecosystem like cancer accepts the death of an organism. Unbridled proliferation eats us up.
To strive forward, to achieve more, to live a better life: Yes, I have this desire, this need. Like probably all people with me. It is, so to speak, a law of human nature. And it has made the market economy a model of success, because in it our striving for progress, our desire for growth can be fulfilled.
So understand me correctly: I am writing here as an entrepreneur, not as a critic of capitalism.
How do we deal with values?
I am sure that growth is healthy for individuals, for companies, for the economy and for society - but I am equally sure that usury is unhealthy. And I fear that in many areas of the economy we have long since moved from growth to usury.
I'll give you an example: when clothing manufacturers' supply chains slowed down in the early 2020s due to corona, tens of thousands of tonnes of finished clothing were thrown away without ever being offered for sale. Why?
The actors' rationale sounded like this: The textiles would not have reached the shops in time for the collection change.
When I read that, I was really shocked.
What had these clothes been made for? Obviously not for long use, not to protect us from wind and weather for many years, but for quick consumption. Fast fashion is what they call it. I call it usury, because in this way production grows unbridled and without regard for resources.
And this is not only the case with clothes, but with many things that are supposed to be used for a long time. They are consumed briefly and soon thrown away long before they have finished their actual life cycle.
And that raises the all-important question for me:
What do we really need?
What do I personally want from life? That I can live in a community in which I feel safe. Be it in my family, at my workplace, in my home community, in the state. That my existence is not constantly threatened, but that I have security and everything I need to live. And that I can continue to develop.
But in fact, for the last 30 to 40 years, people have been relating growth and a better life one-sidedly to the monetary. Recently, it was reported in the press that US banks are once again posting record profits. They have "made more money". But have they created anything? Achieved anything for society? Moved humanity forward?
The psychology of manipulation
When the idea of always wanting to own more came into the world can be dated relatively precisely: At the beginning of the 20th century, scientists like Edward Bernays researched the psychology of marketing. How can I influence and manipulate large masses in their thinking and desires? Their findings were first used in politics in the form of propaganda, then after World War II in advertising. Since then, consumption has become an end in itself - and people have become the plaything of this end.
But this consumption hype is eating up our finite global resources of raw materials and energy. We are experiencing this live right now. But what is the alternative?
Circular economy
Nature shows us the way: As I said, it too is designed for growth. But it grows in a complex, constantly renewing system of cycles in which it constantly reuses its resources.
I am convinced that we can do the same in manufacturing: Reuse things. Preserve values. Keep resources in circulation. My company, allsafe, deals with such mundane things as load securing in logistics. But even there it is possible to realise the principle of the circular economy. I am one hundred percent convinced of that. That's why I launched this idea together with my staff: we want to operate profitably, i.e. in a healthy way, as well as to treat nature responsibly together with our customers.
I explain how in a video that you can watch here.
Because we want to grow, not proliferate.
