"When you have a sense of self that's separate, what do you do? If you know that are limited resources, you gather them for your family as much as you can. You don't actually try to help the bigger picture (...) What I want to suggest to you is that if the self is defined as a singular noun the planet is cooked. But if we can be really creative collectively, and find a way to develop in this generation, absolutely the next generation, that the self, in fact, is a plural verb, so that we can allow kids to be raise to know that "I am more than me" and " I am connected to you but I am a member of we," then we will have a different outcome, because then caring for the planet is not something you have to scare people into doing, it is not the fear tactic who apparently didn't work in climate change issues, it is not about informing them only..."
Dr. Dan Siegel of the Mindsight Institute discusses the neurological basis of behavior, the mind, the brain and human relationships. He explains one definition of the mind as "an embodied and relational emergent process that regulates the flow of energy and information," and describes the role of awareness and attention in monitoring and modifying the mind. Dr. Siegel puts forth a method of expanding the sense of identity so as to include other people, species and the planet and proposes the concept of "we maps." He recommends using the notion of health as a means of linking individual, community and planetary wellbeing.
