Adjusting

Greetings Peaksters

      Happily humans are a resilient bunch.  We get used to stuff .  We adjust.  For example, what does it mean to be "comfortable"   ?   It depends on what you have gotten used to.  .     In terms of heat it can mean between  anywhere between 43 and 86 degrees !     ( Here at Peaksters central, we can get along at 62, but we still need sweaters and hats).

    Speaking of adjusting.,  Here is a good interview with Kathy McMahon  .  She's a clinical psychologist, who specializes in "Peak Oil Blues".
 
Here's her blog.    

     Dealing with all of this sh*t, both resources,a nd climate,  definitely has a psychological component.   Many of us have gone through the stages of Peak. (denial bargaining etc etc)     And it takes some time to accept that the future we've all planned for just isn't going to be there.   This can result in some wacky behavior.  So, she recommends waiting for two years before making any big decisions, until the acceptance of peak has worked its way in.

    She addresses other issues in the interview.  For instance, dealing with your brother-inlaw who is still in denial and good at avoidance:   "Sure, production hasn't increased, and the price keeps going up, but things aren't that bad.  I don't see anarchy in the streets"  (So no need to  adjust lifestyle now).

         How about the "one-wayers".  "You are either with us, or you are "sheeple"

    There's a also the "fast crashers" who just want the whole thing to fall, and then they'll be proven right.      But,so far the slow crash seems more likely.  Which means most people won't even know that the "long emergency" had anything to do with resource limits.  They'll just know that things kept on getting worse.  There's a technical term for that.  Its known as a "Sucky Collapse"

Check it out:

http://c-realmpodcast.podomatic.com/entry/2013-01-09T16_48_14-08_00

"KMO welcomes Kathy McMahon, the Peak Shrink of PeakOilBlues.com, back to the C-Realm to talk about the psychology of predictions. We gravitate to flashy predictions over nuanced forecasts and don’t hold poor track records against those prophets whose predictions promise to vindicate us for holding the right beliefs. Unfortunately for Doomers who hope for a rapid collapse that will vindicate them for being early adopters of the Peak Oil collapse narrative, we seem to be in the midst of a slow degeneration that eats away at our security and wealth but never proves us right in the eyes of our doubters and critics. You may be braced for a sudden, sexy collapse, but do you have the gumption to endure the sucky collapse? KMO and Kathy last spoke at the beginning of the current economic malaise, and now, 3.5 years later, Kathy describes how the prolonged downturn has effected her family, her career, and her outlook"