Breaking with the Status Quo: what will it take?

Breaking with the Status Quo: what will it take? Heidi Zamzow

Every crisis is an opportunity, or so they say. Being shaken out of one’s comfortable equilibrium can overcome the inertial barriers which thwart positive change. Behavioural science refers to this barrier as “the status quo” bias – we tend to do what we’ve always done, and change is generally perceived as too difficult or risky. When it comes to overcoming this bias, timing is everything. As we begin to emerge from this period of instability and uncertainty, we look for signs of what “the new normal” will be and how we’ll fit in. As social learners, humans instinctively seek cues from those with whom we identify (e.g., family, friends, neighbours, colleagues), admire or respect (e.g., celebrities, authority figures, organisations and governments). Research on social norms reveals that our behaviours are motivated not necessarily by what we think we should do, but by what we believe others believe is the right thing that we should do. “Who is seen doing what and when” will be critical, because we draw conclusions about the beliefs of others by what we observe. Policymakers, as representatives of the electorate, also send powerful cues about societal norms when they enact new standards and regulations. They will be the primary architects of the “new normal.” Behavioural science has proven that our decisions and actions will be strongly influenced by our environment, as well as social norms. Unless that environment is changed in structural and significant ways – for instance, replacing fast food outlets with local farmstands, or removing car lanes and replacing them with convenient bus and bike routes – we are most likely to return to old habits which formed to begin with because they were easier, faster, more affordable or more pleasurable ways of meeting our needs. A common refrain I am hearing within groups working on sustainability is that we need to “build back better”, implying that we just need to improve, to make a few adjustments to our societal blueprint to make it more sustainable and equitable. Instead, I believe we need a paradigm shift. We need a new narrative – one that requires us to fundamentally re-evaluate our relationship with nature and all living things. Covid-19 has taught us a harsh lesson about what happens when we transgress natural boundaries, but it is nothing compared to the threat of climate change. At the same time, the pandemic created a window of opportunity by demonstrating that, under exigent circumstances, we are capable of tremendous and almost instantaneous behaviour change – even to the point of sacrificing individual freedoms. Science tells us what is necessary to avert the climate catastrophe; citizens and leaders alike now need to embrace this vision of what is possible. We don’t need to just build back better, we need to build back bolder.