Catalytic Thinking: A Theory of Change for Realising Abundance
In this podcast episode, I delved deep into a concept close to my heart: the mindset of abundance and its pivotal role in driving social change. At the core of our discussions lies Catalytic Thinking, a theory rooted in the philosophy of abundance, initially proposed by Hilde Gottlieb, urging a reframe of questions, fostering collaboration, and highlighting its transformative potential in driving meaningful, enduring change. It invites listeners to join in fostering a future where abundance is not an aspiration but a shared reality through collaboration, compassion, and collective action.
Catalytic Thinking as a Theory of Change
Catalytic Thinking revolves around three intertwined observations that form the foundation of its approach to positive social change:
Firstly, the immense power we hold in creating impactful change by understanding the cause-and-effect relationships. Shifting from merely reacting to symptoms, our focus sharpens on identifying and addressing the root causes that fuel societal issues.
Secondly, the irreplaceable significance of people in effecting social change. While resources are essential, it’s the people themselves who drive change, foster innovation, and execute solutions. Hence, our emphasis at the Humanitarian Changemakers Network on building capacity and empowering individuals with the skills needed for impactful action.
Thirdly, the transformative potential when we come together. Collective enoughness emerged as a crucial concept—an acknowledgment that together, we possess all that is needed. It’s in unity that we transcend scarcity, tapping into an abundance that elevates our shared goals and aspirations.
Asking Questions of Abundance
Catalytic Thinking hinges on the premise that our thoughts mold our actions. By posing questions grounded in abundance rather than scarcity, we unlock a stream of innovative and effective solutions. For instance, reframing queries from ‘what problem do we need to solve?’ to ‘what future do we aim to create?’ shifts the focus from immediate challenges to visionary objectives.
| Instead of asking… | catalytic thinking asks… |
| What is the problem and how will we solve it? | What is the future we want to create, and what will it take to create that reality? |
| Can we trust them? What if they steal my idea / our stuff? | Who else cares about this? What can we accomplish together that none of us can accomplish on our own? |
| How will we pay for that? Where will the money come from? | What resources do we have together that none of us has all of on our own? |
There are three questions you can ask to get to the core of catalytic thinking:
- What do we really want? → Why? → what will that make possible? → for whom?
- Who else cares about this?
- What do we have together?
Moreover, Catalytic Thinking challenges the traditional mindset of resource scarcity. It underscores the difference between tangible resources and the means to acquire them, thereby guiding us towards alternative solutions that might bypass the need for traditional forms of wealth. As Hilde says, “when we change the way we see things, things change.”
Systems to Overcome Scarcity: Mutual Aid
This paradigm shift extends further into the concept of Mutual Aid, a cooperative approach to resource-sharing and community support. Mutual Aid challenges the notion of competition ingrained in social structures and emphasises collaboration, echoing the belief that we thrive collectively rather than individually.
Peter Kropotkin, a Russian anarchist, geographer, and biologist, argued that mutual aid is a natural factor of evolution in his work “Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution,” which was published in 1902. Kropotkin challenged the prevailing social Darwinist view that competition and the struggle for existence were the primary driving forces of evolution. Instead, he proposed that cooperation and mutual aid among individuals within a species played a crucial role in the development and survival of species. Here are some key points in Kropotkin’s argument:
- Observations in Nature: Kropotkin drew on his observations of nature to support his argument. He pointed to various examples of cooperation and mutual aid among animals, such as birds nesting in colonies, animals hunting in packs, and bees working together in hives. These observations contradicted the popular notion of nature as a “war of all against all.”
- Survival Advantage: Kropotkin argued that mutual aid provided a survival advantage. In many situations, cooperation and working together increased the chances of survival for individuals and the species as a whole. He believed that species engaging in mutual aid were better equipped to face environmental challenges, find food, and protect themselves from predators.
- Social Instinct in Humans: Kropotkin extended his argument to human societies, suggesting that the principle of mutual aid was ingrained in human nature. He contended that human communities were not solely built on competition and conflict but were equally shaped by cooperation, solidarity, and mutual support.
- Sociability as an Evolutionary Force: Kropotkin proposed that the evolutionary success of social species, including humans, was closely tied to their ability to live and work together in groups. He argued that the social instinct was a powerful force in evolution, fostering the development of social bonds, communication, and shared activities.
- Rejection of Malthusian Ideas: Kropotkin criticised Thomas Malthus’s ideas about population growth and scarcity of resources. While Malthusian theory suggested that competition for limited resources would lead to the survival of the fittest, Kropotkin argued that the positive effects of mutual aid could mitigate the impact of resource scarcity.
In summary, Kropotkin’s argument for mutual aid as a natural factor of evolution was based on his observations of cooperative behaviours in the animal kingdom, the survival advantages of cooperation, and his belief in the innate sociability of humans and other social species. He presented an alternative perspective to the prevailing ideas of his time, challenging the notion that evolution was solely driven by competition and conflict.
Listen to the full episode:
Catalytic Thinking and the ethos of abundance it embodies represent a beacon of hope in the realm of social change, that urges us to challenge the status quo, reframe our questions, and embrace collaboration as the catalyst for meaningful and lasting transformation. As part of our commitment to fostering Mutual Aid, the Humanitarian Changemakers Network is launching Mutual Aid Australia—a platform to share resources, ideas, and support. This initiative is a testament to the power of collective effort in building a more abundant and equitable society – listen to the full episode to learn more!
