Thread by @DucuGavril

It’s one thing to say society is broken.

It’s another to ask: what would healing look like?

Steve Taylor offers a bold answer.

A blueprint for a society rooted in empathy, not dominance.

Here’s what he proposes.

First, what are we trying to fix?

Taylor identifies disconnection as the core wound—manifesting as:

Violence

Inequality

Authoritarianism

Environmental crisis

Loss of meaning

The goal isn’t utopia. It’s reconnection.

So what would a connected society look like?

Taylor outlines several pillars:

Egalitarian values

Emotional and spiritual development

Ecological harmony

Social systems that prioritize empathy and well-being

🔹 Education

This is where it starts.

Teach emotional intelligence

Encourage empathy and cooperation

Shift from competition to collaboration

Support spiritual literacy—not religion, but awareness

🔹 Economy

Taylor calls for an economic model based on interdependence, not exploitation.

Value care work and cooperation

Regulate institutions that reward disconnection (e.g., hyper-competition)

Reduce inequality as a moral and social imperative

🔹 Culture

Culture shapes values.

Promote narratives of connection, not fear or domination

Celebrate non-material success (wisdom, service, creativity)

Center indigenous and spiritual wisdom traditions

🔹 Spiritual Practice

Taylor isn’t pushing dogma.

He’s pointing to direct experience:

Mindfulness

Contemplative silence

Nature immersion

States of expanded awareness

These foster inner connection that ripples outward.

🔹 Policy & Systems

Systemic change matters.

Reduce hierarchy and domination in politics

Build in mechanisms for participatory governance

Normalize compassion as a civic virtue

Is this naive?

Taylor argues no—it’s practical.

Because the cost of disconnection is already catastrophic.

The real fantasy is thinking we can continue as we are.

This isn’t about perfection.

It’s about a direction.

From fragmentation to coherence.
From cruelty to empathy.
From domination to shared life.

That’s the project of reconnection.

This thread is based on:
“Toward a Utopian Society: From Disconnection and Disorder to Empathy and Harmony”
Steve Taylor, Ph.D.
Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 2021



#SocialChange #Empathy #SystemicReform #SteveTaylor #TranspersonalPsychologyeprints.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/id/eprint/7801…