Agent Of Change: Michelle Bloom
In our ongoing series of interviews with Australian women helping shape our culture, we meet Michelle Bloom. As director of consulting and leadership at The Ethics Centre, she is focused on putting ethics at the centre of personal and professional life.
We have been hearing a lot about “the common good” recently, particularly around social distancing and lockdowns – and seen mixed results. Have we lost the art of looking out for other people?
Fear and anxiety can erode people’s basic good intentions of wanting to act for the common good. The pandemic showed what can happen in a society like America, that advantages those with privilege and resources against the more vulnerable, when there is no universal healthcare and no safety net. In Australia, by contrast, “we are all in this together” rang true. Early in the pandemic we abided by the new restrictions, sacrificed seeing friends and family and shut down all but essential services, for the greater good of our community. As a society, we are well placed to have a broader discussion on how to create the conditions for everyone to prosper.
We saw a lot of love for our essential workers – from health care professionals and teachers to supermarket shelf stackers – during the shutdown. That felt like a big shift.
Who we valorise as a society speaks volumes about what we value and I for one am so bored of celebrity, greed, power … success defined by money. Let’s hear more about the people at grass roots levels really shaping our world for the better. The irony is that those in essential services are not motivated by the need for recognition, power and prestige, they are motivated by the need to help others. I had direct experience of it with my son, who works in a large supermarket as a casual check-out person. We were faced with the dilemma of whether he should keep working during the lockdown. He chose to continue working and I think that doing meaningful work assisted his mental health during the shutdown. Does he want to be celebrated? Not in a million years.
Have we lost the ability to talk with each other? It seems as if almost every issue these days devolves into a shouting match.
The debates we witness in the media, and particularly social media, are dominated by voices from the extreme ends of the spectrum, who are the least interested in finding common ground. Many in the middle feel frustrated that their voices are being drowned out. We need to collapse polarity, to generate new approaches to solving many of the complex and systemic challenges. There is a really interesting technique developed by [writer and educator] Nora Bateson, known as the “warm data lab”, that allows participants to explore different perspectives and positions in a way that shifts polarisation and encourages empathy. We ran one of these labs at The Ethics Centre prior to the lockdown. I hope we will be able to do that again soon, so we can engage the community in some of these important conversations.
What has been the most hopeful thing to happen lately?
I see a shift in what we value as a society, towards wellbeing, the health of the biosphere, love and intimacy, innovation, ethics, caring relationships, community and culture. I am especially excited by the opportunity to re-emerge from this pandemic and to consciously connect with purpose. I am hopeful for the emergence of a new economy as we rethink and engage in conversations exploring purpose, values, equity, fairness and what it means to live a meaningful life.
And the most disappointing?
Recent events have changed how we think about freedom and safety, how we work, what we value and what we need to survive and thrive. Our human rights have been challenged, our civil liberties curtailed, our health attacked, our environment burnt, polluted and flooded, our wildlife decimated, our economy destroyed. The desire to get back to what “was”, rather than pausing and reflecting on what we want to go back “to”, is disappointing. I hope we will take this opportunity to retire what is long past its useful date, treasure what is good and nurture it for growth, align our actions with what we value, take care of the environment and each other and create a sustainable future for our children.
This year’s headlines have been dominated first by the bushfires, then by the floods, then by COVID-19. Which important story didn’t get the coverage it deserved?
I found it deeply uncomfortable how willing we were as a society to support the expansion of police powers to fine and arrest members of the community for going to the beach and gathering in the community. The dominant narrative of fear and the extraordinary measures required to prevent the spread of the virus allowed these new powers to be enacted without engagement, debate and consultation. Acting quickly has certainly helped us to manage the virus but it would be good agree on some principles to help guide these decisions in future crises.
Have recent events changed your view of the world for the better or the worse?
The events of 2020 – bushfires, the pandemic, the Black Lives Matter protests – have seen the best and worst in humanity come to the fore. I was saddened by the fear-based scarcity mindset that emerged during the pandemic as people hoarded more than they needed, knowing others would suffer as a result of their self-serving decisions. But I have been humbled by the stories of bravery, courage and selflessness that emerged from the fires, of communities helping each other to survive. And during the pandemic, members of my community Facebook group were so generous with offers of food, sharing meals, shopping for those less able and generally checking-in on those most vulnerable in the community.
What novel, film or album do you turn to when you want to feel better?
The best book I have read lately is Sand Talk, How Indigenous Thinking Can Save The World by Tyson Yunkaporta. I loved the honouring of our Aboriginal wisdom. My partner is a Buddhist and he has got me into the music of Tibet’s Gyuto monks, which grounds and calms me like no other music. That and Nick Drake’s album Fruit Tree. I also love the podcast Criminal.
Which memory do you return to again and again?
The birth of my son. It was a natural birth, no drugs, so he arrived into the world wide awake and ready to engage. Holding him for the first time, I was overwhelmed by feelings of love, joy, happiness all in one breath. That most precious memory is helping me navigate the teenage years.
What is one skill you are still trying to master?
Radical self-care. Putting my health and wellbeing first in a society that values career achievement, being a super mum and the trappings of a materialistic society is always a challenge and as I get older, I find I need to be more nurturing with myself to sustain my health and wellbeing. Last year I went on a 12-day Ayurvedic retreat in Bali to detox and reset my physical, emotional and spiritual health. That and yin yoga, at least twice a week.
Interview_ Ute Junker
Photo_ Leonhard Schonstein/UnSplash