"Kimmerer proposes kindness as an act of resistance. We need to equip ourselves with a new language, she explains, something that affirms that this is what it means to be human. In a world where kindness breeds distrust or is scorned, kindness, she affirms, is becoming a militant gesture. When you're kind to someone, it's not universally expected that they'll respond with kindness, but if that seed is planted, both people feel better,"
"What if our economy were more like a forest than a stock market? What if, instead of accumulating things, we learned to give, like plants do? She explores these questions in her latest nonfiction book, The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World (2024). With optimism and a sense of wonder, she invites us to look at the world around us in a new light."
Kindness can operate as an act of resistance that requires a renewed language affirming humane reciprocity. Generosity may be mistrusted, yet offering kindness can plant a seed that improves wellbeing for both giver and receiver. The serviceberry and its ecosystem demonstrate abundance emerging from reciprocal exchanges among plants, animals, and insects. A gift economy based on reciprocity forges community bonds and mirrors ecological interactions. Reimagining an economy more like a forest emphasizes giving, sharing, and circular support instead of accumulation, inviting a perspective of optimism and wonder toward everyday natural relationships.
Read at english.elpais.com
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