By Madeline Matson, Rural Assembly Director
Rural people have always been scrappy. We have to be. We know how to do a lot and get things done with very little, whether it’s physical resources, money, human capital, or time.
And too often, knowing that there are finite resources can lead to conflict. You worry there’s a fixed size of pie — and if someone gets your slice, you’re out of luck.
All of that is valid and often true. While we are experts at getting it done, being scrappy is also exhausting. There’s a mental and emotional toll that comes from repeatedly having to pull it together with finite resources.
This was on my mind three months ago as we began to consider a theme for this year’s Rural Assembly Everywhere. The concepts of “abundance” and “zero-sum thinking” have gained attention, from the plot of Squid Game to critiques or praise of the current administration, and themes of entire books like that of Ezra Kline and Derek Thompson, aptly titled, “Abundance”. The theme is swirling as well, in many organizational circles. It was a concept that resonated with my own experience living and working in a rural place, and it seemed hard to ignore.
Our theme — “A Bigger Pie: Cultivating Abundance in a Time of Scarcity” — came out of the desire to recognize struggles in our current times, while thinking collaboratively about how to push through collectively, despite the many roadblocks and hurdles that exist.
This year with Everywhere we are hoping to push back against the real fear that comes from the realities of scarcity and ask, ‘How can we do this better, together?’
Moving from win-lose to win-win
Zero-sum thinking is the idea that there are winners and there are losers. End of story. If you didn’t win… you lost. There is no middle ground for seeking other solutions or more nuanced realities. A recent New York Times article “Welcome to the Zero Sum Era. Now How Do We Get Out?” highlights how problematic this type of thinking can be. “It pinches perspective,” writes Damien Cave, “sharpens antagonism and distracts our minds from what we can do with cooperation and creativity. People with a zero-sum mentality can easily miss a win-win.”
Scarcity is reality
Now don’t get me wrong, scarcity for many of us and our communities is very real. Daily we hear of new cuts to social services and resources critical to the wellbeing of rural America. But I believe there is a way to exist within that reality without existing within a scarcity mindset. Scarcity mindsets often come from a place of fear — and I think it’s easy to say that being driven by fear rarely gets us to where we want to be.
This year with Everywhere we are hoping to push back against the real fear that comes from the realities of scarcity and ask, ‘how can we do this better, together?’ To come together and pool our joy, frustration, anger, and collective rural “can do” attitudes to get good work done. To figure out how to push back against the notion that if you succeed, I don’t.
Because in small places, we know the biggest success is when we all get there together.
About Rural Assembly Everywhere
Rural Assembly Everywhere is the annual virtual gathering of the Rural Assembly, a program of the Center for Rural Strategies. The virtual broadcast features speakers, conversations, music, and other elements of rural culture. Now in its fifth year as a virtual gathering, Rural Assembly Everywhere brings together people from across the country who care deeply about their rural places, neighbors, and community issues.
Register now to attend, connect in the event chat, and to receive event announcements.
