excerpted from page 116, "A Handmade Life,
In Search of
Simplicity"
by William S. Coperthwaite
"Pioneers are needed today more than at any time in the past, not for
exploring the ocean depths, the tops of mountains, nor the vast unknowns
of space, but for finding new ways to build a better world.
We need pioneers to design a gentle society such as has never been
seen before, where all people will have the freedom to develop to their
limits. This is the greatest challenge we have, making the climbing of
Mount Everest seem to be a Sunday afternoon stroll by comparison.
The enlightened prospecting of the future will not be for mineral
wealth, and the treasure found will not be gold and rubies. Riches of a
far greater sort will be sought-the knowledge of how to create a society
in which everyone is decently clothed, fed, and sheltered, with the
opportunity to grow up to be fully mature, creative people. We must
discover how to have a happier, healthier family and community life.
We have the knowledge and the resources to accomplish all of this.
The parts of the puzzle are all present, yet finding how to put them
together is the great challenge.
Life can be viewed as a huge treasure hunt where all are seeking what
they deem to be of value. To the extent that the things we seek are
limited in supply (money, fame, victory) there will be strife. But to
the extent that we seek treasures that deprive no one (wisdom, health,
skill) or treasures that help others (love, friendship, justice) we take
part in building a better world.
I, for one, do not have the answers to the problem of how to build a
better world, here and now-how to build such a world without harming
others and without excessive use of the worlds resources. Finding those
answers is the ultimate challenge, and this is the pioneering that needs
to be done.
The search for ways to create this better world is one of the most
exciting, challenging, and physically and intellectually demanding
quests ever undertaken. It is invigorating to be living in a time when
humanity has developed to the point where we actually have a basic
knowledge needed for solving our problems. Working toward this goal is
the most exciting game in town-and the most worth playing.
People casually say, "there is nothing new under the sun." Poppycock.
Doing something new is not hard (putting wheels on a birdhouse, for
example). Doing something that is both new and useful, that is more
difficult. But, doing something that is new, useful, and better-that
is rare indeed, and therein lies the challenge.
If we could encourage people everywhere to get involved in the
search, we would have an unprecedented collection of talent engaged in
the work. We would have many ideas for new solutions-and better ones,
and less rarely. One measure of a healthy, mature, and creative society
will be that people will value their own development and follow where
this leads. As Thoreau wrote, "Do what you love. Know your own bone.
Gnaw it. Bury it. Unearth it and gnaw it still."
