Autonomy and belonging

I found an interesting paragraph in a chapter by Sharon Daloz Parks, in the book Can Ethics be Taught?. She indicates that individuality and freedom are the greatests achievements of modern culture, but we have fallen into a trap of individualism, which defends values of autonomy, personal competence, achievement and freedom to a point that now frightens rather than empowers us. "We have lost sight of the relationships between the individual and the social system, between freedom and responsibility". Yet, she observes, the individual fulfillment for most is still connected to finding a personal, meaningful place in a community.

Her reflections point to the submerged value of being connected to others, establishing relationships that enrich our lives through giving and receiving. Interesting, that we strive so much for autonomy and freedom, and yet gain our deeper satisfaction when being valued, appreciated or needed by others, when we experience belonging...

Tipping point

Just a few days ago I posted on the LIM News http://limglobal.net/readings/arl_newsletter.htm the remarkable role that Goldman Sachs, leader in the investment market, was playing, by applying the Principles for Responsible Investment and issuing a new framework called ESG (Environment, Social and Governance). They presented it at the Leadership Summit in Geneva beginning July, and also the results of a survey that showed in hard figures how business that were abiding to the corporate responsible practices were also performing better - that one was not in detriment of the other. That was great news - but even better what I read this morning: that according to the latest news, GS was actually losing a notch compared to the main competitors in the area.

"Lehman Brothers, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, and Bear Stearns are simply improving their sustainability performance faster than Goldman, whose energy portfolio has both cleanest and dirtiest energy holdings (perhaps it has dirty holdings in order to clean them up, but who knows.) On the social side, Goldman has not washed its hands of subprime market holdings that verge on (and perhaps classify as) predatory", according to a report of research firm Innovest Strategic Value Advisors.

What this made me realize is that we are witnessing a race to the top - a virtuous cycle where the key players are competing with each other - who is the best. But for once - it's not who is the toughest, but who is the most ethical. I get this feeling that the world is entering a tipping point zone.