The diagnosis isn’t apathy, it’s ambivalence: Our road to 3.0º C

As of now, the world is projected to reach at least 3.0º C of temperature rise by the end of the century. Many regions on Earth could reach that ahead of schedule; as soon as 2060. This level of warming is regarded as an unprecedented catastrophe for globalized society.

Ooph. I know. It’s a lot to process. We’ve officially been off the deep end for quite awhile. I’ve noticed articles seem to be abstaining from cheering on paths toward drawdown (“It’s too late, unless…!”), instead opting to present the reality of the situation (“It’s too late, but here’s what that means”). We’re all sitting here in our awareness - what happens when we view these existential threats through the lens of human psychology?

And not just any psychology, but

• trauma-informed clinical work

• public health tools of Motivational Interviewing

• wisdom traditions

• and contemplative practices

Resources that are aligned with the natural workings of the human mind. That we now have access to. Our gifts. These are not new, they are with us, and have been. What happens when we connect the dots, differently?

I write today not to offer you a “solution,” but an aperture through which you can identify new solutions, on your own. This is about getting back your capacity to respond.

From where I’m sitting, we’re receiving a crash course in the psychology of “ambivalence”.

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Apathy or Ambivalence?

Some might say it’s “apathy” plaguing our society. That people don’t care enough to change our practices, and salvage our world. I argue vehemently against this (as a PhD researcher, if it’s worth adding).

“Nobody cares, surely, because if people cared, this wouldn’t be happening.”

I’m sure you’ve come across apathetic sentiments, but did you accept it at face value, or did you think about what may be under the surface?

You’re certainly not alone if you haven’t done the latter. I hear it in the news, and expressed by people at all levels, across all disciplines: People just don’t care! Which then leads into all kinds of efforts, often lots of resources, to “make” or “get” people to care.

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Why doesn’t apathy apply here?

Apathy is characterized clinically as a lack of goal-directed behavior and motivation. Colloquially, we know it as a lack of care. When it comes to identifying our struggles and roadblocks today, we are backsliding when we subconsciously fall into this framing.

Here’s why:

• Apathy as a diagnosis is surface-level. When we witness inaction, disinterest, or resistance and label it as apathy, we’re making a one-dimensional assumption about its source (“Do you not care?”).

• Humans, and the complex realities they navigate, involve many different dimensions, including identity, desires, attachments, and fears. To reduce these down to apathy leaves very little room for people to explore scenarios that involve multiple dimensions (that’s where we start to get somewhere).

• Every living thing (yes, humans) are invested in survival. There is simply no world where we don’t want food available to eat, clean water to drink, clean air to breathe, and so on, which requires a functional environment. The very thing threatened by business-as-usual. Everyone cares.

Everyone cares.

Yes, I said it. People care so much about being alive, our future and life on the planet, that the potential of threats is deeply triggering. It’s paralyzing. People care so much that they would sooner embrace denial than face difficult realities. People care so much that their brain shuts them down because of the complexity required to hold that emotion and inner conflict.

This is a different orientation from the captivating belief that we have to get people to care. But even the most outwardly caring individuals, who devote their lives, careers, or organizational budgets to change, face perplexing tangles within themselves.

No one is exempt.

If someone in this category were to fall short or stall out, surely we would be hesitant to say: I know what the problem is. You just don’t care enough.

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If it’s not apathy, then what do we call it?

Anxiety and aspiration also make their way into my Three As–a shorthand guide, to decode existential psychology for change leaders.

But ambivalence deserves a special look.

Introducing ambivalence

More often than not, what is taking place is ambivalence.

Ambivalence names the various inner conflicts of desires, attachments, and values that we face on a regular basis, to differing degrees

When we start to become literate in the psychology of ambivalence, acknowledge the role of ambivalence in our lives, workplaces, and stakeholder engagements, we gain a whole new insight into why and how people respond- or not- to big change.

In contrast to much of the values-based literature out there, we often have competing values inside of us. Ambivalence is perhaps most actively addressed in Motivational Interviewing (MI), which I reference extensively in these newsletters. I refere

nce it extensively because it deserves to be recognized in all of our work to course correct from a more turbulent future.

The scientific backing and success stories from MI paints one picture, but I work with business leaders and teams globally that wonder where to go from here. So, what exactly do you do? Why does this matter?

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The Business of Ambivalence

Here’s the thing: ambivalence is already in the room with us. It shows up when our leaders are slow to approve a budget, push back on regenerative initiatives, or shut down those who are driving major sustainability workstreams.

We can keep mislabeling it as apathy, or try to sweep it away in favor of a cheery, sing-song workplace culture, but it will still be here. What we could do, and part of what I teach in my sessions, is how to “roll” with ambivalence.

Meeting Ambivalence with… Kindness?

It may seem counterintuitive to bring in the parts of us that hold us back, but when we engage with our ambivalence from a spirit of acceptance and kindness, the tensions and conflicts tend to loosen and become more spacious. We can open our capability to access and process different POVs, insights, and perspectives when we can do this for ourselves and our teams.

I was once told that fighting ambivalence is a bit like a Chinese finger trap. The more you pull, the tighter it becomes, and the more stuck we can get.

Instead, we can meet dilemmas and conflicts with curiosity and inquiry.

(That can take the form of some exciting workshops - get in touch)

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Other business leaders are already acknowledging this

There’s evidence that our ambivalence can help us to become more creative, open for feedback, and adaptable. When we’re faced with a social pressure to avoid negative emotions (like ambivalence), we’re more likely to ruminate and feel lonely. We all want the workplace with more of the former.

I was delighted a while back, when I happened upon an episode of Hidden Brain, featuring Dr. Naomi Rothman. (It’s super good, definitely check it out – and consider how it relates to climate and sustainability work).

Rothman, a professor of Organizational Behavior at Lehigh University, found that leaders experiencing ambivalence will seek more information from their team or when projects are complex, which cascades into team members that seek more information from each other. Rothman also found that vulnerable leaders putting this ambivalence on display develops a perception of being a better listener, further fostering trust and capacity.

This is the type of modeling that can be unlocked and that I’ve helped to recreate in my own business consulting. And, it requires a presumption of ambivalence, not apathy. It requires us to become ambivalence-literate.

In my next newsletter, I will share some specific practices on rolling with ambivalence, and how we applied this in a global campaign about air travel and flying behaviors.

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Final thoughts

For now, I encourage you to start noticing when you label people as not caring. Pause, and consider where they may be actively in conflict. Perhaps with parts of themselves, their identities, values and concerns. Listen. Pay attention. See if you can become an ambivalence sleuth, and start with yourself.

• Where are you feeling pulled in conflicting, competing desires?

• How do you navigate this? Do you shove the competing desires away? Tell yourself that you are too lazy, not caring?

• What happens if you pause and give your ‘parts’ voices to express themselves?

Most importantly, practice being kind to yourself. You make sense, and all of your ambivalence makes sense.

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Bulletin Board

• EVENT: Bridging Sustainability and The Wellness of You

  • San Francisco, 1/9, 3-7:30 PM PST, $75

• POD: Renée Lertzman - The Importance of Questions, Convening, and Agency for World of Wisdom with Amit Paul