{"id":11895,"date":"2025-11-13T19:37:53","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T23:37:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/tim-jackson-redefines-prosperity-through-the-lens-of-care\/"},"modified":"2025-11-13T19:37:53","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T23:37:53","slug":"tim-jackson-redefines-prosperity-through-the-lens-of-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/tim-jackson-redefines-prosperity-through-the-lens-of-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Tim Jackson Redefines Prosperity Through the Lens of Care"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/hop.clickbank.net\/?affiliate=infohatch&amp;vendor=J1R2C\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10614 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png\" alt=\"Profit Gen\" width=\"400\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png 400w, https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Prosperity. Growth. Success.<\/p>\n<p>When you hear the words, what comes to mind? More income? More status? More stuff?<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s what we\u2019ve been taught to believe, isn\u2019t it? That progress means expansion, and that growth is the measure of success.<\/p>\n<p>It may have made sense in the early days of industrial progress, when we thought the planet could absorb our ambition without consequence.<\/p>\n<p>Now our world is sending the bill, and the cost is everything that sustains us. It\u2019s a truth economist <strong>Tim Jackson<\/strong> believes we can no longer afford to ignore.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>As the economy gets bigger and bigger, we have a bigger impact on the planet<\/em>,\u201d he says in a Mindvalley Book Club interview. \u201c<em>And that\u2019s undermining the prosperity of future generations<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So if the conventional idea that prosperity equals money is no longer sustainable, what, pray tell, should it stand for, then?<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps it\u2019s time to build an economy that learns to care.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Watch Tim\u2019s full interview on the Mindvalley Book Club:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Why care is the foundation of a thriving society with Tim Jackson\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HFiy7OkgncQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Why care is the foundation of a thriving society with Tim Jackson\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HFiy7OkgncQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/noscript>\n<\/p><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Why care is the foundation of a thriving society with Tim Jackson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-the-pursuit-of-growth-is-making-us-sick\">Why the pursuit of growth is making us sick<\/h2>\n<p>Did you know that the <a href=\"https:\/\/data.worldbank.org\/indicator\/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">world\u2019s GDP has multiplied twentyfold since the 1950s<\/a>? And with it came a growing strain on every natural and human system that keeps life running.<\/p>\n<p>The logic of modern economies is simple: to keep profits climbing, companies must keep people consuming. In food, for example, that means engineering ultra-processed products designed to hook the brain with sugar and flavor. In technology, it means apps built to monetize attention by keeping users scrolling.<\/p>\n<p>What all this has in common is an economy that feeds on the exhaustion and depletion of soil, air, and people. And the cost is visible in our bodies. <a href=\"https:\/\/bmjopen.bmj.com\/content\/15\/8\/e097748\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rates of chronic disease and metabolic dysfunction, for one, have doubled in the last three decades<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>There is a health crisis<\/em>,\u201d Tim shares with <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.mindvalley.com\/kristina-mand-lakhiani\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kristina M\u04d3nd-Lakhiani<\/a>, the co-founder of Mindvalley and the host of the Mindvalley Book Club. \u201c<em>Profits from that food system are contributing to growth but doing so at the expense of people\u2019s health<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The same model that floods supermarket shelves with empty calories also floods the atmosphere with carbon. Yet power, profit, and public noise continue to drown out science and reason.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>These kinds of dynamics<\/em>,\u201d Tim says,<em> <\/em>\u201c<em>are now overwhelming what was actually an almost essential consensus around quite an important issue like climate change, like the loss of other species on the planet<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What comes next is a chain reaction: the loss of biodiversity weakens the soil \u2192 poor soil reduces food yields \u2192 collapsing food systems push us closer to a planet too damaged to sustain prosperity.<\/p>\n<p>This is the real cost of growth without balance. But Tim believes the way forward is not more acceleration but a new definition of prosperity.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-tim-jackson-s-care-economy-redefines-prosperity\">How Tim Jackson\u2019s care economy redefines prosperity<\/h2>\n<p>If growth is the story we\u2019ve been told, care is the story Tim wants us to remember.<\/p>\n<p>But why care, exactly? As he explains, it\u2019s the \u201c<em>restorative force that brings us back into balance, brings us back towards health<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the whole premise of his latest book, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4gF18Fj\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Care Economy<\/em><\/a>. This approach focuses on the parts of life and work that maintain well-being rather than produce goods.<\/p>\n<p>It includes healthcare, education, social work, parenting, elder care, and community support. And it\u2019s the quiet infrastructure that keeps societies alive.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>You cannot expect population health to improve while you rely on the good resources of a few individuals who may just about be able to turn around their diagnosis.<\/p>\n<p><cite>\u2014 Tim Jackson, economist and author of The Care Economy<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>What\u2019s more, by redefining prosperity around care, Tim challenges the idea that wealth equals progress. A strong economy, in his view, is one that invests in the health of its people and its planet.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an idea that people like <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.mindvalley.com\/robin-sharma\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Robin Sharma<\/a> and Amartya Sen also talk about:<strong> real wealth comes from health, purpose, and connection<\/strong>. Tim expands it through an economic lens, showing how societies can create and protect those same conditions together.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-proof-that-care-pays-off\">Proof that care pays off<\/h3>\n<p>The reality is, countries that treat care as economic infrastructure see long-term returns that outpace traditional growth investments. \u201c<em>Prosperity is more about health than it is about wealth<\/em>,\u201d Tim says.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Early childhood education gives the highest return on investment. <a href=\"https:\/\/heckmanequation.org\/resource\/invest-in-early-childhood-development-reduce-deficits-strengthen-the-economy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Every dollar spent brings back 7\u201313%<\/a> each year through better health, education, and jobs.<\/li>\n<li>Paid parental leave, as studies show, <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC7367791\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lowers infant deaths and improves family health <\/a>when parents get at least six months off with pay.<\/li>\n<li>When hospitals have enough nurses to care for patients properly, <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC9736847\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fewer people die, and patients get to go home sooner<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Clean air pays for itself. For instance, the U.S. Clean Air Act <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/clean-air-act-overview\/benefits-and-costs-clean-air-act-1990-2020-second-prospective-study\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">returns more than $30 in health benefits for every dollar spent<\/a>, mostly from fewer deaths and illnesses.<\/li>\n<li>Even food policy proves the point. When Mexico introduced a national tax on sugary drinks, <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC5525113\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">soda sales fell by 7.6% in the first year<\/a>, with the biggest drop among low-income families.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Each of these examples shows how care can help reduce long-term costs, strengthen resilience, and build the foundation for real prosperity. In economic terms, care outperforms consumption.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-choosing-care-looks-like-individually-and-systemically-according-to-tim-jackson\">What choosing care looks like, individually and systemically, according to Tim Jackson<\/h2>\n<p>So the story we\u2019ve known is that as long as the economy keeps expanding, prosperity will follow.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But where is it taking us exactly? That\u2019s the question Tim raises.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>For quite a long time<\/em>,\u201d he tells Kristina, \u201c<em>my academic work has been asking one very simple question, which is what can prosperity possibly mean on a finite planet?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It sounds abstract, but the consequences are everywhere. <a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.who.int\/media\/docs\/default-source\/gho-documents\/world-health-statistic-reports\/2023\/world-health-statistics-2023_20230519_.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chronic disease, mental distress, and environmental pressures are all worsening<\/a> in tandem.<\/p>\n<p>Tim, too, experienced this firsthand while writing <em>The Care Economy.<\/em> Diagnosed with pre-diabetes, he realized how even an informed, privileged person struggles to stay healthy in an environment that profits from illness.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>It is almost impossible for me to change<\/em>,\u201d he says. It required time, effort, new habits, and guidance. His diagnosis became a metaphor for a society addicted to its own growth.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-care-begins-with-personal-change\">How care begins with personal change<\/h3>\n<p>The unfortunate truth is, even the most mindful person can\u2019t thrive in a culture that profits from depletion. The food you eat, the apps you use, and the hours you work all operate within an economy that depends on overconsumption.<\/p>\n<p>Choosing care starts with noticing where that economy lives inside your own habits. The skipped meals, the endless scrolling, and the pressure to stay busy all keep you producing under the illusion of progress. The first act of care is to slow that cycle.<\/p>\n<p>Research from the American Psychological Association\u2019s <em>Stress in America 2023<\/em> report shows that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/news\/press\/releases\/stress\/2023\/collective-trauma-recovery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">high stress remains widespread<\/a>, driven by long work hours, financial pressure, and digital <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.mindvalley.com\/overstimulation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">overstimulation<\/a> that contribute to anxiety, depression, and physical illness. Yet, recovery time, such as sleep, rest, and time with others, is often treated as optional.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For you, this might be reclaiming those as non-negotiable parts of life. This can be as simple as cooking instead of ordering out, taking a walk instead of checking your phone again, or saying no when your schedule is already full.<\/p>\n<p>Each small action restores the attention and energy that constant productivity drains away. And it creates the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.mindvalley.com\/self-awareness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">self-awareness<\/a> needed for collective change.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-care-scales-to-society\">How care scales to society<\/h3>\n<p>\u201c<em>You cannot expect population health to improve<\/em>,\u201d says Tim, \u201c<em>while you rely on the good resources of a few individuals who may just about be able to turn around their diagnosis<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why care must also become collective. The thing is, when the cheapest food is the least nutritious, or when <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.mindvalley.com\/how-to-recover-from-burnout\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">burnout<\/a> is built into workplace culture, personal willpower is not always enough. Real care requires public structures that make health possible.<\/p>\n<p>This begins with how societies measure success. Rather than reward speed and extraction, Tim suggests that economies reward stability and restoration. And some countries have already tried to do this:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Finland\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oecd.org\/content\/dam\/oecd\/en\/publications\/reports\/2023\/04\/well-being-in-finland_5250f1de\/ecf06a58-en.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">work\u2013life balance policies<\/a> rank among the world\u2019s best, producing higher productivity and stronger mental health outcomes.<\/li>\n<li>Uruguay\u2019s National Care System <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/padr.12271\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">treats childcare, eldercare, and disability care as public responsibilities<\/a>, expanding access and creating paid jobs for caregivers.<\/li>\n<li>Costa Rica, through <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC2831395\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">decades of investment in health, education, and environmental protection<\/a>, now ranks among the highest in the Americas for life expectancy.<\/li>\n<li>Bhutan\u2019s Gross National Happiness index measures <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oecd.org\/en\/publications\/well-being-knowledge-exchange-platform-kep_93d45d63-en\/bhutan-s-gross-national-happiness-gnh-index_ff75e0a9-en.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">prosperity through community vitality, mental health, and environmental balance<\/a>, and it continues to guide national policy.<\/li>\n<li>Japan\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2666188825002990\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Society 5.0 framework<\/a> links innovation to social inclusion, aiming to make technology serve human needs rather than replace them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These examples show what becomes possible when a society puts well-being at the center. But going beyond policy, Tim emphasizes a cultural shift as well.<\/p>\n<p>For you, that could be through work such as mentoring, parenting, teaching, or volunteering. After all, when society <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/2654934\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">values care, it teaches people to look after one another<\/a>. Plus, a stronger sense of belonging and a clearer understanding that their well-being is linked to the well-being of others.<\/p>\n<p>And the measure of progress, according to Tim, is simple: prosperity depends on how well we sustain what sustains us.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4gF18Fj\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2001\" height=\"736\" alt=\"Tim Jackson's The Care Economy\" class=\"wp-image-78619\" srcset=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2025\/11\/ad8e0c05-tim-jackson-mindvalley-book-club-02-mindvalley-blog.webp 2001w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2025\/11\/ad8e0c05-tim-jackson-mindvalley-book-club-02-mindvalley-blog-768x282.webp 768w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2025\/11\/ad8e0c05-tim-jackson-mindvalley-book-club-02-mindvalley-blog-1536x565.webp 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2001px) 100vw, 2001px\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2025\/11\/ad8e0c05-tim-jackson-mindvalley-book-club-02-mindvalley-blog.webp\"\/><noscript><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2001\" height=\"736\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2025\/11\/ad8e0c05-tim-jackson-mindvalley-book-club-02-mindvalley-blog.webp\" alt=\"Tim Jackson's The Care Economy\" class=\"wp-image-78619\" srcset=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2025\/11\/ad8e0c05-tim-jackson-mindvalley-book-club-02-mindvalley-blog.webp 2001w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2025\/11\/ad8e0c05-tim-jackson-mindvalley-book-club-02-mindvalley-blog-768x282.webp 768w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2025\/11\/ad8e0c05-tim-jackson-mindvalley-book-club-02-mindvalley-blog-1536x565.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2001px) 100vw, 2001px\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-fuel-your-mind\">Fuel your mind<\/h2>\n<p>The world moves fast. Sometimes, too fast for most of us to pause, think, or feel something real.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But reading can slow it all down. It reconnects you to ideas that challenge you, inspire you, and stay with you. And that\u2019s what the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mindvalley.com\/bookclub?utm_source=mv_blog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Mindvalley Book Club<\/strong><\/a> was built for.<\/p>\n<p>Each week, Kristina M\u00e4nd-Lakhiani handpicks powerful books on purpose, growth, and the art of living well. You\u2019ll hear directly from the authors shaping the future of how we think, work, and evolve.<\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019re part of the Book Club, you\u2019ll get:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Books that move you to see the world differently.<\/li>\n<li>Weekly recommendations that go deeper than quick tips and trends.<\/li>\n<li>Conversations with authors who change how you see yourself.<\/li>\n<li>Insights that spark clarity in your work, relationships, and life.<\/li>\n<li>A global circle of readers who crave meaning, not just motivation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The joining is free. But the reconnection it brings? That\u2019s priceless.<\/p>\n<p>Welcome in.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hop.clickbank.net\/?affiliate=infohatch&amp;vendor=J1R2C\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10614 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png\" alt=\"Profit Gen\" width=\"400\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png 400w, https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Prosperity. Growth. Success. When you hear the words, what comes to mind? More income? More status? More stuff? It\u2019s what we\u2019ve been taught to believe, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11896,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-happiness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11895","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11895"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11895\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11895"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11895"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11895"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}