Environmental activists hold placards and banners during the Brussels Climate March in Brussels in October. (Laurent Dubrule/European Pressphoto Agency)
Washington Post: “Systems Thinking” open to experience and values the environment
Scientists now know the psychology behind your worries about the environment
…”Past research has highlighted that those who care about the environment tend to be “Open to Experience” — wanting to try out new things and new experiences — and also to have high levels of empathy, or sensitivity to the suffering of others (including not just humans, but plants and animals). New research, though, suggests there’s a more intellectual side to being green as well. In particular, it finds that those with a tendency to engage in what is called “systems thinking” — embracing complex, multifaceted causal explanations for phenomena and recognizing the unpredictability of how nature works — also tend to value the environment more and to be more concerned about climate change.”