I’m going to start with a story. Over a decade of obsessively watching TED talks has taught me that that’s how the best talks start.

Last week I saw my dad for the first time in almost two years (COVID has been fun like that). We saw each other in Puerto Morelos, near Cancún. I was beyond excited and tried to plan a trip full of activities that weren’t only fun, but also had an emotional side to them. One of the things we did was go snorkeling over the Great Mayan Reef near Cancún. He and my late mom used to be avid divers, but he hadn’t done anything of the sort in over 30 years (he loves saying it was because I came to ruin their fun). 

Anyway, I figured seeing the colorful fish and beautiful coral would take him back to the days he always remembers wistfully. And we had fun, of course, but there was one issue: instead of the vibrant, super colorful habitats he had shown me in his old pictures, we saw mostly greenish-brown plants and corals (the fish were still incredibly colorful, only now instead of blending in, they stuck out).

When we talked about it afterwards, my dad thought that was weird, and that maybe it was just that the ecosystem here was different, nothing like the lively, colorful marine life he was used to seeing in our native Venezuela. Because I’m very annoying and never miss a chance to remind him of the ecological urgencies our planet faces, I explained to him that this coral wasn’t as healthy. It was bleached and had lost its color due to pollution and rising temperatures worldwide. It’s a prime example of how climate change is negatively affecting all the amazing natural treasures our planet has to offer. I figured this was something he would immediately understand.

Do you know what he took from this though? (I bet you can’t guess) He decided that what I had said was that the waters near Cancún are terribly polluted - ONLY the waters near Cancún. He even made my step mom wash her bathing suit in the hotel sink “because this water is too dirty”. Can you believe it? I was stunned. How could he distort my very clear explanation about climate change and worldwide pollution into a merely local issue? It made no sense to me.

Then I remembered: my dad is 78. He grew up in a country that basically venerated oil, gasoline, and mining because it grew rich from it. He spent the majority of his life surrounded by the idea that climate change caused by human activity is a myth. Sure, he’s starting to see things differently now, but it’s been a slow process. So when he was presented with undeniable proof of the effect human activity has had on the planet, his brain contorted the information into something that didn’t threaten his whole worldview. To him, it’s not that we live in a closed system and everything we put into it affects it at a global scale, this would mean that he’s also responsible for this destruction of habitat. No, to him, this was only a local problem, and only the people here are responsible. HE doesn’t have to change anything about how he lives his life, because he, personally, hasn’t caused any damage.

Of course, the truth is he has. We all have. We’ve all caused damage. We’re all responsible.

But getting people to accept responsibility, to accept the need for change, is hard. And getting them excited about it is even harder. Most people don’t want change. At least, not any change that requires a big effort on their part with little to no short-term benefit for them. I mean, let’s be honest, how much have most of us suffered trying to get older relatives to adapt behaviors they’re used to, even just a little? (We’ve al heard some variation of “just ignore them, they’re from a different time”). OR, to bring it closer, how much have most of us suffered trying to change our own routine. Like, say, how hard it is to start exercising. There is a reason most people tend to give up within the first few weeks. Changing our behavior is HARD.

The story with my dad is proof of that (but I understand, of course, he’s from a different time).

Getting someone to stop a behavior they’re used to, even one that is actively harming them, is, again, HARD. We don’t want to let go of what we’re used to.

That’s just how it is, though. Humans, as much as we like to deny is, thrive under an established routine, under established rules and beliefs (and, trust me, as a 34-year-old with late diagnosed ADHD, I DEFINITELY have tried to deny it). Psychology proves this pushback again and again. The list of cognitive biases and fallacies that back this up is immense and ever-growing. From the Dunning-Kreuger Effect to Survivorship Bias and The Backfire Effect, to the Appeal to Tradition… our brains are just… AMAZING at getting us to hold on tight to the ideas and ways of living we are used to. It’s a helpful way to live a relatively stable life; but, as our generations have found over and over again, it’s problematic when deep, quick, systemic change is needed. This type of change feels unnatural to us, and we reject it. Particularly if the alternative is easier and more comfortable.

So, what can we do about this? I’m guessing that, if you’re here, you’re all well aware of how urgently we need to change things up. Both to stop the damage we’ve inflicted on the planet and to help those left behind in our unstoppable march for “progress”. We need a strategy.

New ideas, new behaviors, new systems, and new technologies are urgently necessary. But what is most necessary is getting people to understand. To actively participate in this change. To stop seeing it as a nuisance - one of those things preachy people like myself just can’t stop annoying others with - and start seeing it as an opportunity. We need to get people excited about this new era in human society. Because that’s what it is, really: a new era in which our technology and progress doesn't focus only on profit and the comfort of the few, but on the long-term sustainability of our lifestyle.

Just from a purely selfish viewpoint, if we want to enjoy this planet, to be here for a long, long, time, if we want to preserve amazing cultures and the joys of humanity, then we need to ensure that our actions are not actively sabotaging our chances for long-term survival. We need to make sure that we all fit into the closed system be are a part of, not that we are destroying it. Because if the system fails, so do we.

But, again, you already know that, of course, that’s why you’re here. BUT, you’re ALSO here because not everybody knows this… so, after this long, probably unnecessary introduction, let me actually start talking about the topic I promised.

HOW do we get people excited about social and sustainable projects? How can we get them to actively change their behaviors and awareness when they see it as something that could alter their life for the worse?

Well, the truth is… I don’t know. 

So, talk’s over, goodbye!

No, but really, it’s not a simple task AT ALL. People have been trying to do it for DECADES with only some success. We here are a testament to that success up to this point. So now we need to help keep it growing.

I’ve been trying to work towards this both in my job and personal life for as long as I can remember. In a country fraught with extreme - and violent - political polarization, like Venezuela is, I worked towards this in the political sphere through simple educational animation developed with friends. These days, working in Bienal, an amazing  branding and art studio where we also help clients define experiences and establish best practices for success, helping them understand that sustainability (not just environmental, but aso social and economical) is a must for any future business that wants to endure. Hell, we’ve even worked with clients actively developing strategies to educate people about sustainability and get them actively involved in sustainable change. I learned a lot about realistic change from that client. If for some reason you haven’t, yet, I suggest you read about the UN GLOBAL COMPACT. It really is a great starting point if your goal is to get people to be more open about positive change.

So I guess it’s where I’m going to start (finally), too. Something that is very important to understand about the Global Compact is the idea that long-term sustainability, like I just said, isn’t only ecological. If we only focus on ecological sustainability, we’re going to drive a lot of people away because, honestly, they don’t care. For something to be sustainable long-term, that is, to make sure it lasts, in balance, for a very, very, long time, it has to take into account human society, needs, and behaviors. Otherwise, people will just go for the most comfortable choice.

For something to be sustainable it had to achieve a balance of three main elements: the ecological, the social, and the economical. We already understand the ecological side: we need to achieve a long lasting balance with the natural system we are a part of. But we also need social sustainability: this means that we achieve well-being for most members of society (ideally all, of course), ensuring health, safety, and education. In this way new behaviors can become a part of everyday society without inconveniencing a lot of people. Finally, we need to achieve economical sustainability: that is, our actions have to generate dependable income over time for everyone involved without harming the chanced of future generations, because, like it or not, we need money to survive in our society. This might sound boring or even unimportant to some of you, but let me tell you something very important: THIS IS KEY to getting people more involved with sustainability. 

Once we can understand the pros and cons of the changes on other people’s terms, we can start to communicate with them through ideas that they actually care about.

And here we get to the main point of what I want you to understand today:
the thing about generating enthusiasm is that it’s actually all about empathy. 

You need to understand the way other people think, their priorities and motivations, in order to create a proper dialogue with them, in order to get them to listen to something they (think they) don’t want to hear. Because (and here’s where I contradict the first thing I said), as much as we humans hate change, we also crave progress, whatever that might mean for each of us. It’s a contradiction that uses some people forward and frustrates others. Most of us have some ideal life or world that we strive for, some future fantasy that motivates us and gives us something to inspire us. To put it in a more poetic way: we all have our personal Utopias. And usually, at least on the deeper level, they’re not that different. This is what we need to understand. Most of us, on the deepest levels, want the same things: we want comfort, but also some excitement); we want our basic needs covered, but also a few luxuries (that might just be a nice beer, or some mor expensive but sustainable clothes). We want to feel happy, fulfilled, safe, loved. 

The finer details of those Utopias vary from person to person, of course, but once you understand that connection we all share, it becomes easier to look at things from another person’s perspective.

Now that you’re starting to see the people you need to get to as humans with valid (and varied) inner worlds, you can get to the next step: define the type of people you’re trying to communicate with.

Now, I don’t mean any of that marketing, age group, income bracket, blabla bull (sorry). That won’t work here. We’re trying to establish an emotional reaction, so we need to think in deeper terms. You need to define your target group by lifestyles, core beliefs, worldviews, motivations, preoccupations, and taste. Something I learned thanks to my amazing job, is that, in the 21st century, age and income bracket don’t have as much of an influence on what will get to people. People are easier to reach by what they consider their defining characteristics. You can have a 62 year-old and a 19-year old with wildly different incomes dancing together in Ibiza, and you can have a 25 year-old conservative stay at home mom rejecting a 25 year-old tattoo artist of the same income bracket. So let’s focus on beliefs and lifestyles. At my job we call them tribes, but you can use whatever term you prefer. 

Once you’ve defined the tribe you’re targeting, sit down for a minute. Put yourself in their shoes. Consider, really consider, without judgment, what matters to them, what moves them. What’s their Utopia?? 

Knowing their Utopia, their ideals, you can start to figure out the paths to get them to understand. In the story with my dad I failed in my attempt. You know why? The way I said it implied that he was wrong, that he was to blame. He felt I was attacking his core beliefs and his way of living. I never considered his utopia. So he rejected whatever I had to say from the very beginning. So this is what you need to do: always consider the people you are talking to. Always make people feel understood, accepted, and heard. In short: be empathetic. That is the main strategy, both in life and in effective communication. When people feel as though you are both part of the same team, they will be more open to what you have to say.

In our next session I will develop this idea further, but for now this is what I want to leave you with: we are all human, and we all want to be treated as such. Whenever you dehumanize a person or group simply because the way they confront an issue is different to how you do it, you have lost. No one will listen to you. Always remember, despite our varied opinions, we all live in the same planet, we are in this together. As long as we can connect to the people we are talking to in an authentic way, we have taken a step in the right direction.

I’ll see you all again tomorrow. Thank you for your time.

Generating Enthusiasm for Sustainable Projects:
Getting People Excited About Positive Change

Guest Speaker at Summer Action Lab 2021
A collaborative event by Aalto University, Universidad Modelo, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México