A wise father told his young son about the long struggle most people face throughout their lives. “My son it is a battle between two wolves. One is an evil wolf: anger, envy, greed, lies, false pride, and defensiveness. The other is the good wolf: peace, love, hope, humility, generosity, truth, and compassion.” The boy took this in for a few minutes and then asked, “Father, Which wolf will win?” The man answered, “The one I feed.”
The future of deliberative democracy and sustainable development depends upon which wolf we feed.
The divisive, party-first, win-don’t-compromise politics of today fatten the bad wolf. Every instance of name calling and vilifying the messenger make the bad wolf stronger. The more we feed it, the stronger it gets, and the more we risk it turning and consuming us all.
Deliberation, respect, and seeking higher ground are difficult enough without such a big bad wolf. Only with tolerance, respect, and collaboration can we meet the challenges of 2050. Solutions are within reach, if we can find the courage to feed the good wolf.