This is the second in my series of reflections on the “c-o-s-m-o-s remedy” proposed in opposition to the “ideology of e-s-c-a-p-e” by Jem Bendell in Deep Adaptation: Navigating the Realities of Climate Chaos (UK/USA 2021).

#1: Reflections on Compassion

In contrast to the habit of Surety or Certainty in e-s-c-a-p-e ideology, which involves thinking ‘I will define you and everything in my experience so that I feel calmer,’ Bendell proposes that Openness wishes ‘I will keep returning to be curious about as much as I can, however unnerving’ (p.146).

What is the openness that Bendell refers to?

According to Psychology Today: “Openness to experience, or simply openness, is a basic personality trait denoting receptivity to new ideas and new experiences. It is one of the five core personality dimensions that drive behavior—known as the five-factor model of personality, or the Big 5. People with high levels of openness are more likely to seek out a variety of experiences, be comfortable with the unfamiliar, and pay attention to their inner feelings more than those who are less open to novelty. They tend to exhibit high levels of curiosity and often enjoy being surprised. People with low levels of openness prefer familiar routines, people, and ideas; they can be perceived as closed-minded.”

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