Also known as the “contradictory injunction”, a double bind the traps the party receiving it in an irresolvable dilemma, in which they cannot comply with one demand without breaching the other. The order “Be spontaneous!” is a perfect illustration of this. The current battles over climate change and its causes are an inexhaustible source of double binds. Recently, you might have been amused by a clip promoting deconsumption, distributed by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition via its agency Ademe (Environment and Energy Management Agency), in the run-up to Black Friday. This opened the agency up to flak from traders, the industry and their overseeing ministries. Indeed, economic growth is still the only compass guiding nations. Deconsumption would mean losing GDP points, which would mean weakening their relative power against their competitors, which is regarded as the perfect way to slide down the rankings, toboggan-style. Going against the Ministry of Industry would constitute a form of treason. But on the other hand, over-consuming would mean trampling on the country’s environmental commitments, and thereby condemning future generations. For citizens, the Gordian knot is actually in this case a double knot. We will need to learn or relearn what is necessary or sufficient to be happy. For now, let’s leave the philosophers to enlighten us on those concepts, and return to GDP. As more and more economists are doing, let’s question the value of the GDP indicators and this obligation for indefinite rises. Actually, while a road accident certainly causes woe, it also creates wealth. Private security expenditure also contributes to GDP, and it is also boosted by some of the damage due to climate change. These three examples show how wholly unsuitable it is as a measurement tool, and that we will need to ask ourselves how to measure happiness… before climate woe arrives to put everyone in agreement for good.
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