Crash Course Chapter 5: Growth Vs. Prosperity

Growth is good, right? A growing economy means that we are becoming more prosperous…growth offers opportunities. So many people would say that growth equals prosperity. But is this actually true? And what if it’s not?

For the past few hundred years we have been lulled into linking the two concepts because there was always sufficient surplus energy that we could have both growth AND prosperity. But what’s going to happen when 100% of our surplus money or energy is being used to simply grow? The result is going to be stagnant prosperity. And what happens if there’s not enough surplus to even fund growth alone? When that time comes, we will experience both negative growth and negative prosperity.

This, then, is the greatest challenge of our times – properly recognizing where we want our remaining surplus to go and getting that story out. I, for one, want to see continued advances in energy efficiency, medical technology, and everything else that modern society can offer. This is what we place at risk if we allow ourselves to do what is easy – that is take the path of least resistance and simply grow – instead of doing what is right which is directing our surplus towards a more prosperous future.