Josh Allred's Blog

Most people don’t realize that the corporation is an institution. The fact is we have allowed corporations to gain so much rights and protections that they are easier to view as people. At least on paper.

But because corporations live on paper, they are not subjected to the same struggles as humans. They don’t feel like we do. Which again makes them less human, and yet, not treated as such.

We work so hard to create in the either, that over time, we forget that the system we built isn’t the only system we need to be locked into.

It exists because we say it exists. And the moment we stop saying it exists (or at least recognize it doesn’t have the seat at the table with fellow humans), we can change how we move forward.

At the last Sundance in Utah, I had the opportunity to go see the documentary The Lake about how the Great Salt Lake is drying up.

The film was excellent. But I couldn’t help but feel how dystopian it is to watch a film about a lake 30 miles away that was killing us.

Try explaining this to an alien (or a 7 year old for that matter).

“So why can’t you fix the lake? It seems like all you need is more of this green paper you call money and that way you can save yourselves.”

“Well, it’s a bit more complicated. You see people fight over these resource like cash or water. And it is difficult to get everyone on the same page.”

“But if you don’t then everyone loses right and your economy would crash anyway?”

“Correct.”

It’s just very dystopian. And it continues to get weirder. While part of me, who has children, want to run. The other part is, we cannot escape the problem of climate change. Anywhere you go, you will find a new set of problems. And perhaps, this needs to be the mentality going forward…

The buck stops here. The line is drawn. And we must fight to protect our home.

Perhaps the most frustrating trend I have noticed in outdoor user experience is how complicatedit is to go outside now. As someone who has worked in the outdoor sphere for a good chunk of my life, I do understand the challenges of working in that space. However, over time, with so many rules, it is difficult for anyone to follow them. And now we have created a space not to escape the troubles of the modern world, but to have created the feeling of “Am I doing this wrong?” Parking in the Cottonwoods, for instance, is a nightmare. White Pine has zones where you can park on the road and others where you can’t. They also made changes to the Trailhead fees. (Which is fine, but a lot of changes are fast for people who don’t know.) The permit system was flawed from the start of the ski season. And there isn’t a formal apology—parking Enforcers to check in with, constantly scanning cars. Different parts of the road are now open to residents. This is just parking. And it’s a mess. I can go on. Recently, I was told that Catherine’s Pass was closed. When Alta can’t close a pass that they don’t own. In fact, you had to travel uphill outside their stakes. Of course, this is unofficial, as to where their area ends, and public land begins. Because no surveyor is going up there any time soon, meanwhile, it makes it impossible to travel up Catherine’s safely. Make sure you don’t bring a brown-bag lunch on ski days. And on, and on, and on.

No one wants to feel like they’re doing it wrong for recreation and leisure. If we don’t turn things around, we’ll eventually get to a place where people won’t care anymore. Further, I might add that no one is entitled to anything. Purchasing a ski pass doesn’t guarantee a great ski season. Nor does being paid as ski patrol give us the authority over law enforcement. Police are in the same boat. When we lost the medium where the public meets the rule of law, we now have officers reduced to speed traps and parking violations. We can all do better.

It’s worth noting that each of us has a limited capacity for action. This isn’t the same as the capacity to care. Caring and action can indeed go hand in hand. But we can’t assume that people who don’t take action don’t care too. If you have the ability, focus the frustration on those with the power to change things, not on those who also suffer.

The funny thing about the weather is that it gives us something to complain about constantly. It’s too hot. Too cold. No snow! Too much snow (now I have to shovel). And of course, when it’s perfect, we know it will end.

It tells us something about human nature—life will never be good enough until we accept what it truly offers. The good. And the bad. And the banal.

What’s interesting about owning a car is that you have the right to prevent anyone from entering it or using it. And yet, you can’t drive it anywhere you want. You are told where you can or can’t park. The speed is regulated. You can’t drink and drive (obviously). Ownership is treated with a sacredness in our culture. But there is nothing absolute about it. Making us very possessive in our culture. I suspect it’s because deep down we like to kid ourselves about our rights.

When it’s profitable (and cheap) to trash the environment, we push the costs to someone else. Sometimes that person isn’t even born yet.

The problem with capitalism is that we have decided to measure it using numbers like GDP, which doesn’t reflect the well-being of the people who make up the economy, just the money spent. GDP goes down when there are wars, when everyone has a car, when healthcare is expensive, and so on.

Part of the challenge we face is fixing the incentive structures so that bad behavior isn’t rewarded. But it’s easier said than done.

The state can ban a major corporation from buying housing. But it doesn’t stop someone from opening up 20 different LLCs to purchase 20 houses and build a mini real estate empire.

We meet a second problem once we recognize the first. We run into the system of obscurity, rules, regulations, studies, and so on. We lose momentum, get lost in paperwork, or get lost in red tape or laws.

In the long run, the incentive structures will shape how we behave. The short run is difficult to endure because we are not on the same timeline as when we see this change finally take effect.

Awkwardness may be a sign of how we behave that doesn’t rhyme with the world around us.

But it might mean the story we have told about that person. Perhaps there is nothing awkward about them, you just couldn’t let go the one version you saw of them.

Each of us are many versions of ourselves. At the same time. Through the eye of the beholder.

“I don’t care” is a confusing thing to say in our culture today. Perhaps, misunderstood. What we probably mean to say is “I don’t have the capacity to do much about this.” I

t’s impossible to fix all the wrongs in the world. When you study history, one thing that repeats over and over again is injustice. There is lots of injustice in our world.

I’m not so sure this is even the right approach. What I see today is a recipe for burnout. Fueled by the algorithm to enrage each of us. To click like and subscribe. Share and thumbs up. All to keep us on the hook. A warped piece of entertainment. Sex and violence has always sold.

To clarify, when we witness injustice, we can begin to develop empathy. But empathy is an action word. When we actually do something about it. Otherwise, we are being sympathetic. Nothing wrong with sitting on the sidelines and watching from the cheering others on who are doing the work.

For example, nonprofit leaders work to alleviate the suffering of someone experiencing homelessness. Impossible, however, to also fight climate change too. And eliminating the debt of third world nations while building wells for clean water. You get to focus on one thing when you’re a nonprofit.

And the choice is the same for us: we get to do care about something. Not everything. Not everyone. But it doesn’t mean you don’t have heart either.

Perhaps a better approach is to not scream after every injustice but to actually do something if you’re feeling that passionate about it. And I’m talking more than hitting a share button. Pick up the phone and call a senator. Write an email explaining your concerns. Vote. Submit public comments during opportunities. Stay informed during legislative sessions. Understand the local news. Speak to someone. Not anonymously. Donate your time and money. Start a nonprofit. Join a club. Serve.

The world has always been broken. And humans struggle to get out of their own way. But it is possible to live a full life despite the challenges we face. We can do both. And I think we need to give ourselves permission to do so too.

So much of our history is misunderstood (since conquerors wrote it). And if it wasn’t written down, it is often lost at this point. As a result, we lack an incomplete picture of who we are as a species. And the story we love to tell is a linear, complete story of how humans evolved. The truth is, we don’t know. And the truth is often messier than we realize. Far from linear. And far from complete. I think it’s a good thing. We are not so simple. We are full of surprises. And yes, it makes the future that much more exciting when we realize that humans during prehistory were just as interesting as we are.