Cease Quote by Bill Mollison
“The tragic reality is that very few sustainable systems are designed or applied by those who hold power, and the reason for this is obvious and simple: to let people arrange their own food, energy and shelter is to lose economic and political control over them. We should cease to look to power structures, hierarchical systems, or governments to help us, and devise ways to help ourselves.”
About This Quote
Powerful elites resist sustainable solutions because they threaten control over resources.
In simple terms: Those in charge block eco-friendly systems to keep power.
Key Takeaway
Build community resilience independent of hierarchical structures.
Themes
sustainability
power
resource control
community empowerment
politics
Mood
determined
critical
Type
practical
strategic
When to use this quote
- urban gardening
- local energy cooperatives
- housing co‑ops
- food forests
Key Concepts
decentralization
self‑sufficiency
systems thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- What can individuals realistically achieve alone?
- How can we balance local action with global impact?
A Different Perspective
Some argue that large‑scale coordination is still needed.
![“There are only two possible forms of control: one internal and the other external; religious control and political control. They are of such a nature that when the religious barometer rises, the barometer of [external, i.e., political control] falls and likewise, when the religious barometer…” quote by Juan Donoso Cortes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0c9/juan-donoso-cortes-84258_barometer_there-are-only-two-possible-forms-of-con_2773724.jpg)
