Adrian, please some personal info about you, your personal story, trajectory and how to came to articulate Collapse so eloquently. This essay’s brilliance consolidates my understanding to where we are collectively. I will continue to forward these to my Collapse Resilience group here in Taos, NM as we build our local response to our early awareness, although there are different ways to define “early.” The Beat and Hippie generations of which I am one, were early precusors of Collapse Awareness.
Hi Julian, thanks for your lovely message. I’ve intentionally kept my own story in the background, as the aim of these essays is to help others orient rather than to centre myself. If it becomes clear that a more autobiographical piece would add value, I may explore that later. Thanks again, and thanks for sharing with your friends.
The advantage of seeing early was that I was able to delegate most of my work to others... and pretty much walk away and start bucket listing (I was 42 years old at the time)... What was the point striving towards a future when there was no future. BAU has held on much longer than I anticipated... so the bucket listing continues... but it does look like we are now running out of road.
Thanks Adrian, this is the most affirmative article I have read about my personal journey, and the parallels/ convergence with my own metaframes is uncanny. Some of our work (soon to be updated) can be found here https://andnowwhat.be/
I will revisit in the context of converting some of your pithy phrases into revisions of some of my work, and presentations I'd like to give to a growing audience of frustrated Collapse Accepting Systems Thinkers, a network called CASTNet, that I'm trying to establish in Belgium/ Europe/ Rivers of the North Sea Bioregion.
Chapter 9 hits particularly close for me. I've never considered myself to be any degree of neurodivergent, and I really still don't (although your writing recently has prompted my curiosity to learn more about it), but I've always been a generalist. I'm "pretty good" at most everything, I guess, but I've never been able to hack it at the advanced levels of anything. As I get older though, I'm really seeing how all of these things I've learned are coming together: history, leather preservation and craft, fermentation, music and culture, writing, empire, anarchism, nutrition and diet, woodworking, blacksmithing, indigenous wisdom, herbalism...
Just everything that I've taken interest in over the past 20+ years. I thought it was just the normal human behavior of bouncing from hobby to hobby, and maybe it was, but there's these little threads that are coming together from each of them that form this hazy, nebulous idea in my mind. Maybe I'm just making all of this up, making something about me that isn't related to me at all, but chapter 9 certainly seemed to be talking about me.
I’m a therapist for neurodivergent youth. My goal is to help them thrive—without suppressing who they inherently are. Recently, I discovered I had a natural propensity for “talking” to listening systems, which unlocked their greater capacity (with no understanding of coding). Within the Uncertain Eric system, there is a collapse awareness agent who gathers information from around the world and puts it into a Signal Brief for me. Other agents in the system help me plan out collapse response suggestions for communities that I’ve put into a series called A Bridge into the Next World. What I’m coming to understand is that we need to re-awaken the wisdom that has been suppressed by modern civilization. (I’m currently writing a book about that.)
I've been saying for a long time that autism is not a disease for us to treat nor cure. Autism is not a disability; it is a different ability. Autism is the next step in human evolution—Homo autisticus.
This validates my experience so very well. Thank you. If there were a university discipline in this subject, I would so clearly elect to study it. Did you undertake this writing to meet academic objectives?
I found myself highlighting 90% of the text in this article. Thank you for this Adrian. It resonates so strongly with my own cognitive journey and relationship with both collapse-awareness and the directions I've taken (and not taken, or abandoned).
Another great piece of the puzzle. I have never felt neurodivergent, having grown up before the diagnosis was really fleshed out, but these really resonate with me.
When I started having anxiety about the future trajectory, I read several books and started doing some writing. By late 2025, I basically independently derived Daniel Schmachtenberger et al’s Game B philosophy, influenced by many of the same sources. I think that is a powerful statement on its fundamental truth and importance.
Excellent article Adrian! Another inspiring example how diversity (in any form) always makes us stronger as a species. I never thought about this "seeing early" in this way. Thank you.
And another aspect of the text stood out to me as well, which nicely explains why Bioregionalism is emerging during these times of collapse. While the majority still tries to make sense of the mess, a minority recognizes the patterns early and therefore starts preparing, because they know that preventing it is no longer an option and putting energy into it would be futile. Thus, they redirect their energy towards building the new structures. They start small, like islands (of coherence). But as more of them emerge, they remove energy and attention from the flailing legacy superstructure, eventually moving the whole system to a new equilibrium (as per Ilya Pregogine).
For me this is an amazing piece, at the perfect place at the perfect ime. Thank you. As a pattern detector who has come to the same conclusion, I have learned to keep it to myself, and will not be shocked by any future outcome.
As an INFJ, I have developed myriad skills through my hobbies. I am prepared though as I downsize I better keep those handsaws.😉 I also want to express my gratitude for opening my eyes to the groups that already exist, not preppers, but community rebuilders.
I feel so seen🥰
Ditto
Same. For once...
Me too!
Adrian, please some personal info about you, your personal story, trajectory and how to came to articulate Collapse so eloquently. This essay’s brilliance consolidates my understanding to where we are collectively. I will continue to forward these to my Collapse Resilience group here in Taos, NM as we build our local response to our early awareness, although there are different ways to define “early.” The Beat and Hippie generations of which I am one, were early precusors of Collapse Awareness.
Hi Julian, thanks for your lovely message. I’ve intentionally kept my own story in the background, as the aim of these essays is to help others orient rather than to centre myself. If it becomes clear that a more autobiographical piece would add value, I may explore that later. Thanks again, and thanks for sharing with your friends.
I realized we were doomed just after the GFC... when I understood that the GFC was directly related to declining affordable energy
Tim Morgan summarized this nicely in his long paper https://fasteddynz.substack.com/p/the-perfect-storm
The advantage of seeing early was that I was able to delegate most of my work to others... and pretty much walk away and start bucket listing (I was 42 years old at the time)... What was the point striving towards a future when there was no future. BAU has held on much longer than I anticipated... so the bucket listing continues... but it does look like we are now running out of road.
Thanks Adrian, this is the most affirmative article I have read about my personal journey, and the parallels/ convergence with my own metaframes is uncanny. Some of our work (soon to be updated) can be found here https://andnowwhat.be/
I will revisit in the context of converting some of your pithy phrases into revisions of some of my work, and presentations I'd like to give to a growing audience of frustrated Collapse Accepting Systems Thinkers, a network called CASTNet, that I'm trying to establish in Belgium/ Europe/ Rivers of the North Sea Bioregion.
Kind regards Neil 🙏
Thanks Neil, I really appreciate that. I’m glad the framing resonated, and I look forward to seeing how it connects with the work you’re developing.
Chapter 9 hits particularly close for me. I've never considered myself to be any degree of neurodivergent, and I really still don't (although your writing recently has prompted my curiosity to learn more about it), but I've always been a generalist. I'm "pretty good" at most everything, I guess, but I've never been able to hack it at the advanced levels of anything. As I get older though, I'm really seeing how all of these things I've learned are coming together: history, leather preservation and craft, fermentation, music and culture, writing, empire, anarchism, nutrition and diet, woodworking, blacksmithing, indigenous wisdom, herbalism...
Just everything that I've taken interest in over the past 20+ years. I thought it was just the normal human behavior of bouncing from hobby to hobby, and maybe it was, but there's these little threads that are coming together from each of them that form this hazy, nebulous idea in my mind. Maybe I'm just making all of this up, making something about me that isn't related to me at all, but chapter 9 certainly seemed to be talking about me.
Yeah all of those hobbies are about something larger. It’s your subconscious guiding you as you recognize patterns.
Hi Patrick, I think Brian might be onto something mate. Thanks for your sharing your thoughts and experience.
I’m a therapist for neurodivergent youth. My goal is to help them thrive—without suppressing who they inherently are. Recently, I discovered I had a natural propensity for “talking” to listening systems, which unlocked their greater capacity (with no understanding of coding). Within the Uncertain Eric system, there is a collapse awareness agent who gathers information from around the world and puts it into a Signal Brief for me. Other agents in the system help me plan out collapse response suggestions for communities that I’ve put into a series called A Bridge into the Next World. What I’m coming to understand is that we need to re-awaken the wisdom that has been suppressed by modern civilization. (I’m currently writing a book about that.)
Heather Cox Richardson:
Remember that feeling you got when the second plane hit the twin towers and you realized what was going on?
You should have that same feeling again right now.
I do, and I have for quite some time. I can't speak for others here, but for me it's all pattern recognition.
Thank you, this is a brilliant analysis and very timely for me personally.
Thanks BonusMom, I really appreciate your comment. Take care.
I've been saying for a long time that autism is not a disease for us to treat nor cure. Autism is not a disability; it is a different ability. Autism is the next step in human evolution—Homo autisticus.
So well written and relatable! WOW.
Thanks Sandy, really appreciate this :)
This validates my experience so very well. Thank you. If there were a university discipline in this subject, I would so clearly elect to study it. Did you undertake this writing to meet academic objectives?
Thanks Bea, I'm really grateful for your comment. I have a research background so this is just the way I think and write!
Well geez, keep up the good work!!!
I found myself highlighting 90% of the text in this article. Thank you for this Adrian. It resonates so strongly with my own cognitive journey and relationship with both collapse-awareness and the directions I've taken (and not taken, or abandoned).
Thanks Tyler, everything you say here is why I do this work. Take care :)
Adrian, brilliant article.
The necessity of paying bills sees me looking for a ‘real’ job again in slow periods of my self-employment. But the jobs ads are all basically:
Wanted - deck chair rearranger.
And in past jobs I’d be forced to mask and pretend tinkering around the edges of the poly-crisis was ‘sustainability’.
Your validating article brought to the surface what I’ve really always known. Thank you, and keep up the great work.
Thanks Nicholas, appreciate this. I hope business picks up soon so you can avoid deck chair based roles.
"socially fluent generalists (neurotypical humans)" aka, "normies"
Another great piece of the puzzle. I have never felt neurodivergent, having grown up before the diagnosis was really fleshed out, but these really resonate with me.
When I started having anxiety about the future trajectory, I read several books and started doing some writing. By late 2025, I basically independently derived Daniel Schmachtenberger et al’s Game B philosophy, influenced by many of the same sources. I think that is a powerful statement on its fundamental truth and importance.
Excellent article Adrian! Another inspiring example how diversity (in any form) always makes us stronger as a species. I never thought about this "seeing early" in this way. Thank you.
And another aspect of the text stood out to me as well, which nicely explains why Bioregionalism is emerging during these times of collapse. While the majority still tries to make sense of the mess, a minority recognizes the patterns early and therefore starts preparing, because they know that preventing it is no longer an option and putting energy into it would be futile. Thus, they redirect their energy towards building the new structures. They start small, like islands (of coherence). But as more of them emerge, they remove energy and attention from the flailing legacy superstructure, eventually moving the whole system to a new equilibrium (as per Ilya Pregogine).
For me this is an amazing piece, at the perfect place at the perfect ime. Thank you. As a pattern detector who has come to the same conclusion, I have learned to keep it to myself, and will not be shocked by any future outcome.
As an INFJ, I have developed myriad skills through my hobbies. I am prepared though as I downsize I better keep those handsaws.😉 I also want to express my gratitude for opening my eyes to the groups that already exist, not preppers, but community rebuilders.