For two reasons, the key phrase is “standing in your truth.” One is that the “conventional” way is so pervasive that people quite literally can not imagine another truth. The best exposition of this issue I have come across (after Thomas Kuhn’s seminal “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions”) is Appendix four of Chris Alexander’s “The Production of Houses.” If you or a reader is interested, drop me an email and I will send you a copy of a paraphrase of the appendix we discuss in great depth with all potential proprietors at Rosneath Farm.

The other reason is that we need more and more people “standing in this truth” that is, living sustainable life styles, to show not just that it is possible, but that it is more rewarding, here and now. People will NOT change until they see the alternative as more desirable, unless you are forcing them! They need to see the alternative as a POSITIVE DEVIANCE. So it is important that those taking up the goal of building sustainable systems for themselves and their grandchildren do so in a manner that is seen as an extension of where we are, rather than a rebellion; a progression, not a protest.

We have two phrases we use to describe this goal at Rosneath Farm:

Learning, livelihoods and lifestyle

Elegant low consumption lifestyle.