SYNOPSIS
What book are we doing?
Eastern Wisdom, Modern Life: Collected Talks 1960-1969, by Alan Watts
Why are we doing it?
Because we’re in a time of acute reaction.
How can we use it?
To keep a maybe mindset.
To remember that our customers and audiences’ behaviour usually is not driven by a maybe mindset.
To drive change intentionally instead of waiting for it to drive us.
“There is a gap between imagination and reality.”
– Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being
The past several weeks has felt like a roller coaster of emotion and reaction. In Eastern Wisdom, Modern Life, Alan Watts shares a potential path to level-headed, roll-coasterless living in his retelling of an old parable:
Once upon a time there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away, and the neighbors came around that evening to commiserate. They said, “So sorry to hear your horse has run away. This is most unfortunate.” The farmer said, “Maybe.” The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and everybody came back in the evening and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky. What a great turn of events. You now have eight horses!” The farmer again said, “Maybe.” The next day his son tried to break one of the horses ride it but he was thrown, and broke his leg, and they all said, “Oh dear, that’s too bad,” and he said, “Maybe.” The next day the conscription officers came around to conscript people into the army and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. Again all the people came around and said, “Isn’t that great!” Again, he said, “Maybe.”
In December, The Angus Reid Institute announced findings from their recent poll with the headline, From ‘eh’ to ‘meh’? Pride and attachment to country in Canada endure significant declines.[1] This is bad. A few weeks later, headlines announced that Canadian pride and patriotism was on the rise,[2] and that most Canadians reject idea of being the 51st state.[3] This is good.
The past eight weeks feel unprecedented; they also feel familiar. Five years ago, the first case of Covid in Canada was reported. Through the ups (“This is our chance to move to the country,” “I love working from home!”) and downs (“Grampa’s immunocompromised – we have to keep him safe,” “I miss my friends”) of Covid, “We’re in this together” was a pervasive rally cry. By 2022, most Canadians thought the pandemic pulled Canadians apart and brought out the worst in people.[4] Three years later, they were claiming the lowest level of national pride and attachment to their country in three decades.[5] We not only quickly shift between a this-is-good and that-is-bad mindset, but just as quickly forget the lessons significant events have tried to teach us.
Given the human propensity toward present bias, it’s understandable that individuals gravitate toward a wahoo or boo response – things feel good or bad for me right now, in this moment, so I’ll lean into that for my immediate best interest. As a result, our collective mood and behaviour, like a flag, shifts with the winds of the moment. Armed with this self-awareness, we can choose a different way to respond. Canadian brands – our country and our businesses – can set a vision for Canadians and offer them an alternative path, rooted in strategic thinking and possibility.
If US tariffs are imposed, Canada’s economy will be devastated. Maybe. And maybe it will spark us to think about Canada’s role in the world. Maybe it will bring us stronger and more sustainable relationships with rest of the world rather than relying so heavily on one customer. Maybe . . .
If the threat of tariffs is dropped, Canada will never forget. We’ll remain proud of our country and support Canadian businesses. Maybe. And maybe we’ll slip quickly back into old patterns. Maybe we’ll fly Canadian flags we bought on Amazon and post #ProudCanadian on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Maybe once we’re feeling comfortable and confident, the threat will be sprung on us again. Maybe . . .
If there’s an attempt to make Canada the 51st state, we’ll fight tooth and nail and become more united than ever. Maybe. And maybe we’ll discover that becoming part of America has benefits. Maybe Canada as a state brings voting power that swings the US in a way Republicans hadn’t considered. Maybe . . .
An absolute this-is-good mindset when things seem good can lead to overconfidence and lull us into complacency, leaving us susceptible to the inevitable challenges and obstacles that await us. An absolute this-is-bad mindset when things seem bad can lead to resignation or impulsive reactions, leaving us ineffective or counter-productive. A maybe mindset leaves us open and aware of both risks and opportunities, leaving us well prepared to think and act strategically.
In The Five Things We Cannot Change, David Richo reminds us of an unavoidable given of human existence that we often forget or try to wish away: “Everything changes and ends.” Everything. We can let changes elate us and devastate us, or we can shape change in this ever-changing world. Maybe.
[1] https://angusreid.org/from-eh-to-meh-pride-and-attachment-to-country-in-canada/
[2] https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-pride-is-on-the-rise-trump-tariff-threat-1.7451987
[3] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-join-u-s-poll-1.7434317
[4] https://angusreid.org/covid-19-two-year-anniversary/
[5] https://angusreid.org/from-eh-to-meh-pride-and-attachment-to-country-in-canada/
