Consciousness of lack (scarcity thinking)
Consciousness of lack – or scarcity thinking – denotes the internalised basic conviction that there is too little of everything: too little money, too little time, too little safety, too little love. The decisive thing is: this conviction often works independently of the actual situation. It is a pattern of thought, not a fact. This entry explains the term neutrally and separately from individual methods or offers.
The contents presented here are education and a worldview-based view, not a medical or therapeutic statement. In the case of distressing complaints, medical or psychotherapeutic professionals are the right point of contact.
What is consciousness of lack?
Consciousness of lack is like a pair of glasses through which one regards the world: everything appears scarce, every decision is coloured by the fear of loss. Whoever thinks so often clings compulsively to what exists and trusts their own way little. It is remarkable that even people who have outwardly achieved much can be shaped by it – the feeling of lack remains, although the real lack has long ceased to exist.
Where does scarcity thinking come from?
In this view, consciousness of lack is mostly an instilled imprinting: a child adopts, for example, the money-fear of a parent and carries it with them a whole life long. The pattern is reinforced by surroundings that bank on scarcity – even the basic assumptions of economics start from limited resources, and advertising deliberately addresses the worry of missing out on something. Thus a single impression becomes a lasting basic mood. Closely related is fear, on which many such patterns are founded.
Is the lack real?
Here a distinction is important: healthy respect for real danger or actual scarcity is sensible. The generalised scarcity thinking, by contrast, keeps running even when no real need exists. In the worldview-based view of the Kyborg Institute an image of abundance stands opposed to this: energy changes its form, but is not lost. Whether one regards the world out of scarcity or out of abundance changes one’s own decisions – and one’s dealings with others (see altruism: the human being is not by nature designed only for competition over what is scarce).
How does one come out of consciousness of lack?
The beginning is to recognise scarcity thinking as a pattern – as something adopted, not as the truth about the world. How one notices and calmly regards such patterns is described by the method Recognising old patterns; it closely touches one’s own responsibility for the further way. Whoever seeks a protected setting for this finds it in personal counselling – as accompaniment towards self-clarification, not as a healing treatment.
Frequently asked questions
What is consciousness of lack?
Consciousness of lack is the internalised basic attitude that there is too little of everything – money, time, love, safety – independently of what the situation actually is. It is a pattern of thought that colours decisions with the fear of loss.
Can scarcity thinking be overcome?
According to this view, the first step is to recognise scarcity thinking as an adopted pattern and to regard it from a new perspective. This is development, not a healing procedure, and no particular result is promised.
Is consciousness of lack the same as poverty?
No. It is a matter of the inner attitude, not of the outer situation. Wealthy people too can be stuck in scarcity thinking – and conversely, people with little can have a feeling of abundance.
Is this a scientifically proven fact?
It is a view from psychology and worldview, not a concluded scientific fact. It is presented as an interpretation and experience.
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- — First English version.
Autor: Tobias O. R. Alke