Knowing What's Enough

One does not have to be a genius to recognize that we as a human species are on an almost unstoppable path to self-destruction in terms of our impact on the planet.

CO2 concentration in the air has increased linearly without any interruption since at least 1960, despite the various pledges, commitments, and summits.

I do not see regulation from countries to be the savior of our climate crisis. It will not be the supply side that will save us. Sustained change has to be rooted in the demand side of things. It is the citizens of countries and the world as such that have to change the way they look at success and happiness. As long as happiness equals more, bigger, faster, and higher without any limit, we will be unlikely to change our current trajectory. Unfortunately, the wealthiest citizens of planet Earth are not exactly a role model for contentment. Instead, it seems like the ultimate quest of wealth is to burn fossil fuels for space tourism.

Only when we all individually come to realize first what is enough for our happiness can there be lasting change. Only when we are happy to say no to more, bigger and newer more frequently, will our resource impact on the planet slow down in a sustained fashion. To be clear, I am a keen believer in democracy and free market capitalism per se. I am far from pushing a socialistic, supply-constraining agenda and do not want to be misunderstood.

This book is a humble contribution to helping hopefully a few people to realize the power of enough. Instead of looking at money as a maximization function, the book considers money as a mere limiter to what one can do at any given point in time. Like health, it is not a goal in and of itself, but a constraint. Happiness will come from other drivers intrinsically linked to human nature.

Who knows, maybe the book will lead to a few tons less CO2 being produced. By now, it is all about marginal gains in the future!

Auteur

Jörg P. Biebernick grew up in Germany, in a little village, and of parents of moderate background. From relatively early childhood, he was keen to see the world beyond his town and country and see what else was out there. He was lucky enough to get into an excellent university with a scholarship as his parents would not have been able to afford this private education. He then pursued a career in business leadership that took him to Switzerland, the USA, Belgium, back to Germany, back to the US, and finally back to Switzerland, where he resides now. He was a member of several management boards at large, quoted companies, including a stint as Co-CEO.

He is married, has 2 grown-up children, and is currently taking a break from full-time work, also to write this book.