How I Would Structure Society If I Could

And what I’m doing in the meantime

Photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash

I’ve been sitting on this one for a while. 

A year, in fact. 

It’s not what I normally write about but with over 50 major countries holding political elections (most of which have already happened — the US being one of the last in November), it feels like an appropriate time to share it with you. 

Don’t worry, this article isn’t about politics, it’s more philosophical.

Here’s how I would structure society if I could. 

Teach children emotional intelligence in schools

I know you can’t put an old head on young shoulders but you can equip them with tools that support mental health and wellbeing.

Instead of filling young minds with an out-of-date education system, I would incorporate more health and wellness into their daily schedules.

Among them would be meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, talk therapy, and other healing modalities.

I left school ridiculed with anxiety and a lack of self-confidence as I pursued a career I was never interested in. I was also ill-equipped to do anything about my situation emotionally. So my anxiety just kept producing more anxiety.

I had to travel the world, meet people from different backgrounds, and learn how to love myself again. But it took years. I can’t help but imagine how different my life would have been if I’d been exposed to these tools way before I desperately needed them.

Introduce a universal basic income 

Where I live in Cape Town, people steal power lines and sell them on the black market. It means that we are without power for sometimes days at a time. As annoying as this is, the people who are doing it are desperate. It’s incredibly dangerous and many of them get injured. 

A common argument against universal basic income is that people will become lazy and they won’t do jobs that need to get done. However, I have experienced quite the opposite. 

Once my survival needs were met and I was financially stable, I had more space to be creative, live in alignment with my values, and find my purpose. I’ve seen this among other community members too.

Another argument against a universal basic income is that it will cost governments way too much money to effectively cover everyone’s basic needs. However, the counter-argument is how much money does the government spend on crime, police units, security, drug addiction, money laundering, and the million other ways people try and rig the system out of desperation?

When people’s basic needs are covered, I believe people are far more creative and relaxed. This would drop crime rates and help people live more harmoniously with one another. 

The simple truth is that no one can think further than food and shelter if they’re in survival mode. 

A universal basic income would solve this problem. 

Open more psychedelic therapy centres to support the out-of-control mental health crisis

The amount of research that is now available on psychedelic therapy is extraordinary. Among others, it’s helping people with PDST, addiction, and trauma.

This one obviously takes highly skilled practitioners but I believe they should be as easy to book an appointment with as seeing a GP.

I speak from personal experience too. My life changed when I took MDMA for the first time. Suddenly I was in a state of pure love and I realised how much I was holding myself back.

Once I felt that, I couldn’t unfeel it. And this has been the case for many other people too.

Across the world, MDMA, ketamine, and psycilobin are being used to treat people who have nowhere else to turn. My hope in the coming years is that many more centres will open so the out-of-control mental health crisis can stabilise and heal.

Teach breathing exercises to children

 I took my first breathwork session when I was 25 years old and it changed my life. 

I couldn’t believe that something so primal could be so profound. I was so enamoured by the experience that I went on to become a breathwork facilitator and teach it to others. 

What struck me most was how little people knew about the breath. They didn’t know that it can soothe anxiety, boost the immune system, regulate hormones and pH levels, balance the two hemispheres of the brain, and improve heart health and lung capacity. They had no idea that poor breathing habits can cause inflammation, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue, stress, poor sleep, indigestion, and allergies.

Luckily, anyone anywhere in the world can access it freely. So, along with teaching children emotional intelligence in schools, I would also teach them how to breathe properly. This would include different breathing exercises that support their physical, mental, and emotional needs.

Have elderly people more incorporated into daily life 

It’s weird to me that people reach a certain age and then go into a retirement or care home. Don’t get me wrong, I understand it. Looking after old people is intense but it often means they get pushed to the edges of society. 

Scientists have now proven that when elderly people are surrounded by young children, in particular, their mental health and cognitive abilities increase. When they’re not, they decline.

Growing up, my grandma and grandad were my best friends. Their small flat was a safe haven to retreat to, relax, indulge, and get spoilt. They were also able to teach me things no one else could because they had lived through wars, recessions, marriage, children, and seven decades. I feel deeply grateful for all the years I spent in their company and wish others had the same opportunity. None of this would have been possible if they were put in a home and forgotten about. 

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On another note, when elderly people live on the fringes of society, we lose our connection with death. I believe this is another great loss because death reminds us how fragile life can be. Once my grandparents passed away, I realised how mortal I am and this served as a great reminder to live life to the fullest while I still can.  

Ban glyphosate and other deadly chemicals that are found in food and introduce regenerative farming

For the last six years, I’ve had an inflamed gut. I’ve tried everything from breathwork, cold water immersion, acupuncture, meditation, yoga, and regular exercise but it was only when I radically changed my diet and started eating organic food that things began to shift.

Processed foods and monoculture farms use many pesticides and chemicals that help their crops grow bigger and longer. However, they also damage (or kill) most bugs, insects, birds, and water systems that they touch.

The same thing happens to us internally when we eat these foods. Our microbiome, gut, and important viruses break down because these chemicals are designed to do that while they’re being sprayed all over the land.

The biggest culprit (with the most widespread use all over the world) is glyphosate. It’s most commonly found in products like Round Up.

By choosing organic and/or regenerative farming, we not only support the health of the Earth by protecting the topsoil, insects, birds, and water systems, we also support our own health.

Take money out of politics 

It’s no secret that governments are tightly linked to military personnel, big Pharma, and big food, and that their roles are often interchangeable. A Lockheed Martin official may end up working in politics and vice versa. Whereas big Pharma often funds governmental campaigns.

Understandably, this creates a conflict of interest because how can governments enforce laws on people who fund them? And how can a politician condone the notion of war if they have stocks and shares depending on it to continue?

The easiest way to change this is to take money out of politics and have leaders who are brave enough to make the right decisions without worrying about donors or investors or financial contributors who have hidden agendas. 

Reduce plastic production 

If I could, I would stop plastic production altogether but I realise that’s probably unrealistic. 

However, I would start by banning single-use plastics and then scale up from there. 

Plastic only started to be used worldwide in 1957 yet it has been on rampage ever since. 

As a result, fish and birds are now being found with plastic inside them, there’s a plastic island between California and Hawaii three times the size of France, and many more forming across land and sea.

Perhaps the most depressing report comes from the Environmental Investigations Agency (EIA) which reported that plastic will outweigh fish in the planet’s oceans by 2050. So, we need to act fast.

As much as recycling has been adopted around the world, it’s like covering a grenade with a paper bag. It’s simply not strong enough to resist the inevitable explosion.

A simple (albeit radical) solution would be to slow - or hopefully stop - plastic production.

There’s no excuse either. Many startup organisations are producing sustainable materials that are just as effective as plastic without damaging the environment. Materials such as rice, bamboo, algae, and sugar cane are all in circulation.

As a lover of the ocean and an ex-scuba diving instructor, I really hope that report is wrong.

What I’m doing in the meantime

I know all of this is probably unlikely to happen so here’s what I’m doing in the meantime: 

• Instead of teaching children emotional intelligence in schools, I’m continuing to work on myself, spread love through different mediums, and open up conversations with a wide variety of people.

• Instead of a universal basic income, I try and spread my wealth in small ways. I give change to people on the street, begging at traffic lights, and whenever I see someone in need.

• Instead of opening up more psychedelic therapy centres, I guide people through 5g mushroom journeys and help them with microdosing plans.  

• Instead of teaching breathing exercises to children, I teach it to adults who hopefully share it with their children.

• Instead of having elderly people more incorporated into daily life, I live on the same land as my girlfriend’s parents and cherish intergenerational living.

• Instead of banning glysophate and other deadly chemicals found in food, I refuse to buy and support supermarkets that sell them. I buy from local farmers instead and/or grow my own veggies.

• Instead of taking money out of politics, I am a part of a local community that tries to have a positive impact on the local area.

• Instead of reducing plastic production, I try and be plastic-free. Plastic only survives because there’s a high demand for it. Take away the demand and the supply stops.