The other day I had a small problem with the heating and water system so I called a plumber. Like many people he was interested to hear of my impressions of Ireland since I returned. I told him that they were mostly positive and of the changes I had noticed. He said that he felt the time of the economic boom in Ireland had shifted many people’s focus onto more materialistic aspects of life, and that many people had “lost their heads” during that time. A lot of people tend to associate greater wealth with a less caring attitude, which may or may not be the case. It is true that an economic model focused just on growth will not automatically lead to compassionate or sustainable, inclusive, development. However, what struck me more is the need for a framework of values which Ireland traditionally had and which it has moved away from, sometimes with good reason. However, replacing them with an alternative consumer framework may not be the best solution. As this quote says, our work needs to refer to some overall direction or else it risks losing it capacity to nourish all aspects of the person and society:
The outward harmony that we desire between our economy and the world depends finally upon an inward harmony between our own hearts and the originating spirit that is in the life of all creatures…We can grow good wheat and make good bread only if we understand that we do not live by bread alone.
Wendell Berry
