Comments on: In Our Economic Crisis, Who Do We Project Our Anxiety Onto? Who Pays the Cost? (Family Systems Thinking and a Biblical Parable) http://rhettsmith.com/2008/09/in-our-economic-crisis-who-do-we-project-our-anxiety-onto-family-systems-thinking-and-a-biblical-parable/ Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:02:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Jeffgriffin http://rhettsmith.com/2008/09/in-our-economic-crisis-who-do-we-project-our-anxiety-onto-family-systems-thinking-and-a-biblical-parable/comment-page-1/#comment-9484 Jeffgriffin Fri, 29 Oct 2010 02:39:35 +0000 http://www.rhettsmith.com/?p=1198#comment-9484 I can certainly relate about bankruptcy problem in this pages. I have to completely focused my radiant intelligence on it. Occasionally, there are times when people or businesses run into severe financial troubles. When put to paper, it seems as though they cannot manage to continue to make necessary payments on their current income. For many, bankruptcy seems to be the only way out. But bankruptcy should only be the option of last resort. Asking help from bankruptcy Attorneys are really needed for us to defeat bankruptcy problems, give us some advices on what should the enormous things to do. I can certainly relate about bankruptcy problem in this pages. I have to completely focused my radiant intelligence on it. Occasionally, there are times when people or businesses run into severe financial troubles. When put to paper, it seems as though they cannot manage to continue to make necessary payments on their current income. For many, bankruptcy seems to be the only way out. But bankruptcy should only be the option of last resort. Asking help from bankruptcy Attorneys are really needed for us to defeat bankruptcy problems, give us some advices on what should the enormous things to do.

]]> By: Dress Down Friday | The Economy and Proto-Christianity http://rhettsmith.com/2008/09/in-our-economic-crisis-who-do-we-project-our-anxiety-onto-family-systems-thinking-and-a-biblical-parable/comment-page-1/#comment-2962 Dress Down Friday | The Economy and Proto-Christianity Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:35:06 +0000 http://www.rhettsmith.com/?p=1198#comment-2962 [...] » In Our Economic Crisis, Who Do We Project Our Anxiety Onto? Who Pays the Cost? (Family Systems Th... Rhett discusses family systems and exposes the anxieties behind consuming too much. There are several key components to family systems, and sometimes it can get quite complicated, but what I’m interested in for this post, and what I will overgeneralize is the concept of anxiety within a system, and how that anxiety is often projected onto someone, or something else. For example, in a family, often when there is anxiety between spouses it can be projected onto a child. In a larger context when there is anxiety, for example in a culture or country, anxiety can be projected onto other people groups, politics, etc. When anxiety enters that system the goal of that system, whether it be a family, or a society, is to reduce that anxiety and bring the system back to a homeostatic state….otherwise to balance it out. This can be done in many ways, but often the anxiety is balanced out in the system because it has been put on someone or something else outside of it. This is an over simplification, but I think you get the idea. [...] [...] » In Our Economic Crisis, Who Do We Project Our Anxiety Onto? Who Pays the Cost? (Family Systems Th… Rhett discusses family systems and exposes the anxieties behind consuming too much. There are several key components to family systems, and sometimes it can get quite complicated, but what I’m interested in for this post, and what I will overgeneralize is the concept of anxiety within a system, and how that anxiety is often projected onto someone, or something else. For example, in a family, often when there is anxiety between spouses it can be projected onto a child. In a larger context when there is anxiety, for example in a culture or country, anxiety can be projected onto other people groups, politics, etc. When anxiety enters that system the goal of that system, whether it be a family, or a society, is to reduce that anxiety and bring the system back to a homeostatic state….otherwise to balance it out. This can be done in many ways, but often the anxiety is balanced out in the system because it has been put on someone or something else outside of it. This is an over simplification, but I think you get the idea. [...]

]]> By: Dress Down Friday | The Economy and Proto-Christianity http://rhettsmith.com/2008/09/in-our-economic-crisis-who-do-we-project-our-anxiety-onto-family-systems-thinking-and-a-biblical-parable/comment-page-1/#comment-2966 Dress Down Friday | The Economy and Proto-Christianity Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:35:06 +0000 http://www.rhettsmith.com/?p=1198#comment-2966 [...] » In Our Economic Crisis, Who Do We Project Our Anxiety Onto? Who Pays the Cost? (Family Systems Th... Rhett discusses family systems and exposes the anxieties behind consuming too much. There are several key components to family systems, and sometimes it can get quite complicated, but what I’m interested in for this post, and what I will overgeneralize is the concept of anxiety within a system, and how that anxiety is often projected onto someone, or something else. For example, in a family, often when there is anxiety between spouses it can be projected onto a child. In a larger context when there is anxiety, for example in a culture or country, anxiety can be projected onto other people groups, politics, etc. When anxiety enters that system the goal of that system, whether it be a family, or a society, is to reduce that anxiety and bring the system back to a homeostatic state….otherwise to balance it out. This can be done in many ways, but often the anxiety is balanced out in the system because it has been put on someone or something else outside of it. This is an over simplification, but I think you get the idea. [...] [...] » In Our Economic Crisis, Who Do We Project Our Anxiety Onto? Who Pays the Cost? (Family Systems Th… Rhett discusses family systems and exposes the anxieties behind consuming too much. There are several key components to family systems, and sometimes it can get quite complicated, but what I’m interested in for this post, and what I will overgeneralize is the concept of anxiety within a system, and how that anxiety is often projected onto someone, or something else. For example, in a family, often when there is anxiety between spouses it can be projected onto a child. In a larger context when there is anxiety, for example in a culture or country, anxiety can be projected onto other people groups, politics, etc. When anxiety enters that system the goal of that system, whether it be a family, or a society, is to reduce that anxiety and bring the system back to a homeostatic state….otherwise to balance it out. This can be done in many ways, but often the anxiety is balanced out in the system because it has been put on someone or something else outside of it. This is an over simplification, but I think you get the idea. [...]

]]> By: Rhett Smith http://rhettsmith.com/2008/09/in-our-economic-crisis-who-do-we-project-our-anxiety-onto-family-systems-thinking-and-a-biblical-parable/comment-page-1/#comment-2960 Rhett Smith Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:41:52 +0000 http://www.rhettsmith.com/?p=1198#comment-2960 Wess: Thanks for checking the post out. I like what you have always had to say on issues of consumerism, etc. Andrew Jones posted on his blog in a reply to one of my comments some of his posts and resources on gift economy, which is something that really fascinates me and am interested in. He says: "Kester Brewin tapped into Lewis Hydes "The Gift" when he did his chapter on gift in Signs of Emergence Jean Luc Marion's Being Given is great but more theoretical." http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2004/09/a_gift_economy.html http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2004/11/generosity_and_.html Also, I'm really interested in Ched Myers thoughts on Sabbath economics.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbath_economics Anyone have any other thoughts or resources? rhett Wess:

Thanks for checking the post out. I like what you have always had to say on issues of consumerism, etc.

Andrew Jones posted on his blog in a reply to one of my comments some of his posts and resources on gift economy, which is something that really fascinates me and am interested in.

He says:

“Kester Brewin tapped into Lewis Hydes “The Gift” when he did his chapter on gift in Signs of Emergence

Jean Luc Marion’s Being Given is great but more theoretical.”

http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2004/09/a_gift_economy.html

http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2004/11/generosity_and_.html

Also, I’m really interested in Ched Myers thoughts on Sabbath economics….

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbath_economics

Anyone have any other thoughts or resources?

rhett

]]> By: Rhett Smith http://rhettsmith.com/2008/09/in-our-economic-crisis-who-do-we-project-our-anxiety-onto-family-systems-thinking-and-a-biblical-parable/comment-page-1/#comment-2964 Rhett Smith Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:41:52 +0000 http://www.rhettsmith.com/?p=1198#comment-2964 Wess: Thanks for checking the post out. I like what you have always had to say on issues of consumerism, etc. Andrew Jones posted on his blog in a reply to one of my comments some of his posts and resources on gift economy, which is something that really fascinates me and am interested in. He says: "Kester Brewin tapped into Lewis Hydes "The Gift" when he did his chapter on gift in Signs of Emergence Jean Luc Marion's Being Given is great but more theoretical." http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2004/09/a_gift_economy.html http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2004/11/generosity_and_.html Also, I'm really interested in Ched Myers thoughts on Sabbath economics.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbath_economics Anyone have any other thoughts or resources? rhett Wess:

Thanks for checking the post out. I like what you have always had to say on issues of consumerism, etc.

Andrew Jones posted on his blog in a reply to one of my comments some of his posts and resources on gift economy, which is something that really fascinates me and am interested in.

He says:

“Kester Brewin tapped into Lewis Hydes “The Gift” when he did his chapter on gift in Signs of Emergence

Jean Luc Marion’s Being Given is great but more theoretical.”

http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2004/09/a_gift_economy.html

http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2004/11/generosity_and_.html

Also, I’m really interested in Ched Myers thoughts on Sabbath economics….

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbath_economics

Anyone have any other thoughts or resources?

rhett

]]> By: C. Wess daniels http://rhettsmith.com/2008/09/in-our-economic-crisis-who-do-we-project-our-anxiety-onto-family-systems-thinking-and-a-biblical-parable/comment-page-1/#comment-2963 C. Wess daniels Sat, 27 Sep 2008 05:36:51 +0000 http://www.rhettsmith.com/?p=1198#comment-2963 Rhett, fantastic insights. The point about anxiety cuts to the heart of consumerism and the state we're currently in. As you said,"We are fearful of losing our way of life, our comfort, so we shop and consume to lower the anxiety." Interesting point you make here - consumption leads to the perceived relief of anxiety, all the while greatly increasingly our frenetic desire for excess, a desire that only increases our anxiety further. I think the point about there being a cost, is a point that we as Christians would do well to sit with a while and really think about what it might look like to live in the reality that the only way to break the anxiety is not through more consumption, but through a gift economy. That is giving, and giving up, in order to break the cycle of exchange in consumerism. Thanks for getting this conversation going in this direction. Rhett, fantastic insights. The point about anxiety cuts to the heart of consumerism and the state we’re currently in.

As you said,”We are fearful of losing our way of life, our comfort, so we shop and consume to lower the anxiety.”

Interesting point you make here – consumption leads to the perceived relief of anxiety, all the while greatly increasingly our frenetic desire for excess, a desire that only increases our anxiety further.

I think the point about there being a cost, is a point that we as Christians would do well to sit with a while and really think about what it might look like to live in the reality that the only way to break the anxiety is not through more consumption, but through a gift economy. That is giving, and giving up, in order to break the cycle of exchange in consumerism.

Thanks for getting this conversation going in this direction.

]]>