In the previous chapter, we decided that as of today, it feels like enough is enough with these human idiocies and the pyramid scheme of our social, economic, and political structures.
This chapter will explore potential paths for addressing the idiocies and dysfunctions of our current systems. We will consider whether change is truly possible, what mechanisms could drive it, and how individuals and societies might begin to shift toward a more equitable and sustainable future. The goal isn’t to present one definitive answer but to imagine different approaches and explore their viability.
Individual vs. Systemic Change
One of the first questions that comes to mind is whether change is best approached on an individual level or at the systemic level—or perhaps both simultaneously. Can personal actions create large-scale change, or is collective, system-wide reform the only way to move the needle?
Individual Change
On an individual level, many people believe that change starts with personal responsibility and decision-making. In the context of financial freedom, for instance, individuals can work to free themselves from the systems of exploitation by becoming financially independent. This involves saving, investing, and building assets that reduce dependence on employers or the broader economy. However, the limits of individual action become apparent when we recognize that the system is a zero-sum game, where some have to toil so that others can live in comfort. Structural inequalities mean that for many, the playing field is uneven from the start.
Systemic Change
Systemic change, on the other hand, addresses the root causes of inequality and exploitation within our economic and political systems. This could involve reforming capitalism (or replacing it with something more beneficial to the society as a whole), creating new governance structures, or changing the rules of the game to ensure that wealth and power are distributed more equitably. However, systemic change is much harder to achieve, as it requires broad political will, mass mobilization, and often faces fierce resistance from those who benefit from the status quo – meaning it will be a fight against “The Human Condition”.
So, to my mind, a combined approach—where individuals work toward personal empowerment while also supporting broader systemic change—might be the most effective antidote to this idiocy.
Now, let’s look at the two ways societal changes usually come about:
Grassroots Movements & Collective Action Vs Policy & Economic Reforms
🌱 Grassroots Movements and Collective Action
- Bottom-up change.
These come from ordinary people, communities, or networks organizing themselves. - Driven by shared values, frustration, or vision — not by formal authority.
- Examples:
- Civil Rights Movement
- Occupy Wall Street
- Local cooperatives or community currencies
- Climate activism like Fridays for Future
- Goal: To shift culture, raise awareness, and pressure institutions or governments to respond.
Grassroots movements ignite consciousness and create social momentum — they’re like the spark or moral force behind reform.
🏛️ Policy and Economic Reforms
- Top-down change.
These happen within existing systems — governments, central banks, corporations, or international institutions. - Usually enacted by policymakers, economists, or legislators.
- Examples:
- Raising minimum wage
- Universal basic income programs
- Tax reforms or financial regulations
- Environmental protection laws
- Goal: To change the formal structures that govern how society and markets function.
Policy and economic reforms institutionalize change — they’re the machinery that turns public will into law.
Here is my take on these two approaches.
Grassroots Movements and Collective Action
- The Power of Collective Action: Movements that begin with ordinary people—often those most affected by injustice—can snowball into larger forces capable of influencing public opinion, legislation, and even the structure of society. Examples include the labor movements of the 19th and 20th centuries that won workers’ rights like fair wages and reasonable working hours, or environmental movements that have shifted the global conversation on climate change.
- Challenges to Collective Action: Despite the successes of past movements, organizing collective action today faces significant challenges. Political polarization, misinformation, and the sheer complexity of modern economic systems can make it difficult to mobilize people toward a common cause. Additionally, corporations and political elites often wield disproportionate influence, using their resources to resist or co-opt movements that threaten their interests.
Policy and Economic Reforms
Some examples just to give you an idea of what’s possible are:
- Progressive Taxation: Progressive taxation, where the wealthy pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes. This can help redistribute wealth, fund social programs, and create a more level playing field.
- Universal Basic Income (UBI): UBI could another potential solution. Countries like Finland and cities like Stockton, California, have already experimented with UBI pilot programs, and while results have been mixed, the idea is gaining traction in economic debates.
- Reforming Corporate Structures: Instead of the traditional top-down corporate hierarchies, we could promote models like worker-owned cooperatives, where employees have a stake in the company’s success and share in its profits. This could help reduce income inequality.
- Etc.
- Challenges to Policy Reforms: Personally, I have very little hope in the effectiveness of pushing these reforms via the existing political setups (and politicians) because to my simple mind, I don’t understand one bit as to who initiates these, who drives these and who directs these to completion. Pushes for Policy change by politicians most of the times appears to be just lip service and dramatics and nothing else in my dictionary. Something else should lead to Policy changes and I’m not clear on it as of now. But that is the very purpose of this compendium – to brainstorm and figure out options that can work in real life and show results in one’s lifetime or so.
SIDE NOTE: Sometimes I feel that the so called “Policy” that is driven by the human condition can only get worse as time passes – as evidenced in the west and now the third world countries as well, who are also following suite and getting more and more stuck in the bottomless pit of uncontrolled regulations and taxation lunacy – I don’t see it bringing any positive change to society other than feeding the pyramid scheme with no light at the end of the tunnel to be seen anywhere.
Changing Human Nature: Can We Overcome Our “Human Condition“?
All the above observations make me wrestle with the question of whether genuine systemic change is even possible within the limits of human nature — or what I call the Human Condition.
Yet, within that very question lies a clue to freedom itself: how we might one day rise beyond this endless loop of wage slavery – and that realization is this:
Escaping the Pyramid = Breaking Out of The Human Condition = Conscious Evolution
Is it possible to change human nature, and consciously break out of the Human Condition or at least mitigate its worst tendencies?
We will dig deeper into this concept in the next chapter, because this could be a basic requirement for Humanity to be able to break out of “The Human Condition”.
✍️ Help Evolve This Idea
Your ideas and insights are welcome as we shape this book together. Explore the online book, contribute to the forum, or dive into more thought-provoking discussions on Substack. Together, we can brainstorm how to free ourselves from the limits of wage slavery and reimagine a thriving humanity.
- Share Your Ideas on the Forum: From Autopilot to Conscious Evolution (Forum)
- Explore the publications on Substack: ReclaimUrLife – Beyond the Rat Race (Substack)
- 👉 Explore everything from one place 🎯→ The ReclaimUrLife Hub