Unplanned Obsolescence and Rituals for Transformation

⏳ Transition is the shift from one state to another, driven by 'unplanned obsolescence'. Questions arise. Rituals help us hospice of the old, allowing for new ways of aligning with life.

TL;DR: The industrial capitalist paradigm is being confronted with its own limitations and the rise of unplanned obsolescence. Durability and self-awareness are possible antidotes to obsolescence. To hold space for the questions that arise, we need rituals to help us intentionally facilitate transformation, as we realign with the interconnected living system we are a part of.

Reality overhauls our systems

The industrial, capitalist paradigm is being questioned for its ability to create meaningful, human outcomes. Its intrinsic limitations become exposed and visible, creating all sorts of reactions. Ranging from hope to desperation. From the recognition of the outdated systems as broken to the revamping of those very systems in an attempt for survival at any cost.

In the old paradigm, the notion of planned obsolescence was exploited for maximum economic value. As a way to fictitiously create needs out of seemingly nowhere. Planned obsolescence is a strategy of designing products with a limited lifespan, leading them to break or become outdated within a short to mid-term period. This approach aims to stimulate consumer demand for new products and upgrades.

As many of us have started questioning our systems, this practice has faced criticism and has been prohibited in certain countries due to its implications for sustainability and consumer rights.

One antidote to planned obsolescence is durability. This approach focuses on creating products that can be repaired, encouraging longevity and reducing waste. Durable products, services and systems are designed from the drawing board onwards to remain functional and relevant for an extended period, promoting repairability and upgradability.

Another antidote is realizing that we don’t need so much. Looking inwards, sensing into our needs. Instead of comparing and contrasting with others. This is very difficult to do in a world in which mainstream culture and (social) media seem to dictate the pulse of our lives, We become asynchronous with ourselves and then it is hard to feel into ourselves.

What happens when these antidotes are not brought in to balance the obsolescence is that unplanned obsolescence takes over. We are overhauled by reality.

Feeling into our unplanned obsolescence

We cannot remain asynchronous of ourselves and the world for very long. Things go awry. We are systemically intertwined to everything: so if we don’t let go of what no longer works… we will eventually be obsolete to the totality of the system.

These days the signs of distress are everywhere. Unplanned obsolescence is happening. It’s unplanned: so it feels like it is taking us by surprise, or that it is not what we want for things used to be better. Yet obsolescence is the result of our choices and behaviours. It is a consequence of our inability to sense the interconnectedness of all systems. We need to feel into that. Deeply. For in that depth is the urgency, the motivation for the transformation that needs to occur.

We are going to need rituals of passage as we face up to the transition. Obsolescence is not the end of everything. It merely signals the end of what we know.

Whenever systems become obsolete due to being outpaced by reality, there is a misalignment that can be felt within the systems themselves. These signals include:

⁉️ Increasing inefficiency: The outdated systems no longer meet the needs of life and the environment. It becomes harder and harder to make them work. Like pulling on a dead horse. We start feeling friction, inertia and a sense that things are no longer working as they used to. That’s because they aren’t. The limit has been reached.

💸 Higher and higher costs: to keep things going suddenly we requires more resources for upkeep and we start seeing that other technologies are better at aligning with what is truly needed. And by this I mean all kinds of other technologies: so also organic, systemic, (ab)original, not only the man-made technologies. We are replaced by new ways that make the existing obsolete. In the words of Buckminster Fuller: “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”

🙅 Loss of Relevance: as other technologies can do the job better and in more alignment with what is unfolding, unplanned obsolescence appears. Any system wants to preserve itself as a primary goal, but running out of step with the context inevitably leads to lack of relevance. Becoming outdated, obsolete, as a matter of fact rather than a matter of planning.

😫 Rising Frustration: People experience frustration as our systems no longer function effectively or fail to provide the necessary outcomes, leading to decreased satisfaction and pertinence. It’s not just a lack of sustainability. Things become unsustainable because they are no longer suitable. And we experience that in the form of frustration.

⏳ Need for Transition: Reliance on obsolete systems can lead to critical failures. So we have this escalating sense of the inappropriateness and lack of significance of “how things work”. This signals the need for rituals for hospicing the end of what we know. Acknowledging what doesn’t work anymore. Thanking those systems for being part of how we evolve. For their teachings. So that we can create room for the (r)evolutionary. For the new that needs to emerge. For transformation in ourselves: through not knowing, through embracing the questions in spaces where we don;t yet have answers. Rituals to re-commit to ourselves and to each other in truth. To transition into the yet unknown, with renewed intentionality to be more in-synch with the world and with the living system we are a part of.

Rituals for transformation

The obsolescence of systems needs a space in which to be held, while around us there is turbulence, chaos and uncertainty. American TV-anchor Deborah Norville has put this into words: “There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.”

Holding space for questions, for discovery, for design.

It is in the spaces that rituals create we can transform. Call it the ‘cocoons’ of transformation. The spaces where we reflect, redefine, rebirth.

Rituals are spaces for connection: to ourselves and to others. Spaces for belonging when the world feels like we don’t belong in it anymore. Spaces for realigning and relating.

Unlike obsolescence that is unplanned, rituals are intentional.

So how do we intentionally design rituals?

👐 We need space holders: people who initiate the creation of those spaces and build communities around them. A space where we can be safe to feel and experiment together.

🫶 We need to connect to our feelings: rituals speak to our hearts and to our felt sense. For the connection to emerge, there are no new “forms” yet. So it is the emotion that acts as a conductor for the dialogue, the sharing, the creativity that needs to emerge. Seeing and recognizing our feelings and ourselves.

🌞 We need to feel the anticipation: opening ourselves to the experience, to the whole mixed bag of emotions: eagerness, curiosity, enthusiasm, adventure, wonder, thrill, discovery, hope, intrigue, exhilaration, possibility. All of it at the same time. This is the ‘motion’ that gets moved by emotion.

🌟 We need to be seen, to be heard, to be acknowledged: in our pain and in our talents. To have a sense of “yes, we can”, we must experience the friction as well as the potential. It is in the most difficult moments that we have the opportunity to show what we are made of. And when we show ourselves in our vulnerability and in our hopes, there is power in going through this together. Rituals provide a shared sense of meaning.

⚪ We need to leave space for the “muse” to show herself: rituals are intentional but they shouldn’t be pre-determined. It is important that emergence is built-into the intention. As we go into these spaces, we must commit from our hearts with intention and leave the space by giving closure and thanks to what has emerged.

What might that look like?

Rituals needn’t be big to be significant.

For example taking time to pause, before you start a conversation. I like to use the acronym IDOARRT whenever I host for meetings. You can find a template for IDOARRT here.

The purpose of an IDOARRT is to align contributions, requests, concerns, or suggestions from the outset of any meeting and make expectations explicit for all. It helps to provide clarity on every aspect of the meeting in advance, allowing people to feel at ease and confident. The acronym stands for: Intention, Desired Outcome, Agenda, Rules, Roles and Responsibilities, and Time. It is guided by the host of the gathering, as follows:

- Intention: Define the purpose of the meeting, including the motivations, aims, needs, or calls to action that have led to this shared space.

- Desired Outcome: Outline what you aim to achieve by the conclusion of the session, including specific, attainable goals, takeaways, or learning outcomes.

- Agenda: Present a proposed agenda for the meeting, ensuring that all necessary items are included and that there are no superfluous topics. Adapt as needed to meet the possibilities of the people in the room, for this gathering.

- Rules: Establish the rules for the meeting as the host, seeking agreement from all people present, in order to ensure everyone is aligned. Invite people to contribute to the rules.

- Roles and Responsibilities: Define the roles within the group or team. What will each of us contribute? In which role are we here? What is the perspective we might bring? What are tasks we agree to own or carry for the group? Emphasize your own role as a host in leading the meeting and establishing consensus on each participant's contributions for the comfort of the total group.

- Time: Confirm the duration of the gathering. If the meeting concludes without addressing all agenda items, check in with attendees to offer them the choice to either leave or continue.

Especially for meetings and gatherings that are recurrent, you will see that the group starts embracing the ritual as an established practice. For new groups, it is super helpful because it reduces the anxiety and creates a sense of direction and clarity.

Becoming active participants in our transformation

As we navigate the complexities of our outdated systems, intentional rituals can help create connection and forge pathways to transformation. Creating spaces for reflection, community and (re)design. Engaging in new practices, together, we can redefine our relationship with the systems that shape our lives.

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