By William A. Foster, IV
“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.” – Thomas Merton
Social, economic, and civic are the three pillar institutions of any and every society. The framework of those three pillars varies from society to society. As with any three legged chair those pillars/legs must be kept in balance or the chair will tip over inevitably. The only alternative to the chair tipping over is person on it exerting an inordinate amount of energy to compensate for the unbalanced legs, but eventually even then the person tires and the chair falls, the person is hurt, and injury ensues to both chair and person. Had the stool’s engineers remained focused and prioritized balance and sustainability then the person and chair could exist in analogous perpetuity. Both sharing the energy to maintain the person’s weight across the stool and the stool’s support of the person.
How do we see the unbalance of much of global society today? To be clear, I say much because many Indigenous communities who have been untouched by the majority of society still live in balanced societies. They do not consume too much social where they do not attend to the economic needs (like fishing or hunting) of their people or too little time attending to the governance of their community. No, they spend a balanced time with all three pillars and therefore their societies have survived and sustained for millennia. Whereas, much of the 8 billion people who call Earth home suffer from an exerted system that leaves no room for sustainable balance for many of our communities existence.
Take a look at pre-pandemic work before remote/hybrid work was considered viable and even post-pandemic where a culture war is waging to force many back to the office. There are but seven days in a week or 168 hours. Of the 168 hours if we subtract a proper 8 hours of sleep nightly, then there are 112 hours left. The work week is 40 hours a week across 5 days. One would think that would leave a whole 72 hours for social and civic engagement. But because we work in offices and not from home or hybrid work consumes far more than 40 hours. For most people, work consumes about 3 hours before with getting ready and travel and 2 hours after returning home. That is to say work consumes around 13 hours of our day or 65 hours per week leaving only 47 hours for social and civic activities. A chair blatantly out of balance.
In a balanced society, none of the three pillars should consume more than 37 1/3 hours of our week. It is fundamentally not hard to see why we know our coworkers better than we know our neighbors or why we see a lack of interaction between parents and education institutions. Who has the time? Our economic pillar has become overweighted. Many will read this as we need to become underweight economically, but this just rebalances the strain. That is not at all the answer. Balance, balance, balance is. If we want citizens to be more active, engaged, and responsible for the other pillars of society we have to rebalance the pool of time available for them to do so. But how do we get the pillar of economics to trim itself in such a way that returns balance? How do you get anyone or anything to voluntarily rescind its power?
In our current system you get paid to work in our economic institutions. That is the only means of survival. Social and civic engagement is almost always voluntary – even when you are an employee of a social and civic institution. Or at least that is what many would say the pay suggests. The bank does not pay their financial analysts to go spend a day tutoring math kids. The school system does not pay their teachers to go sit on an educational committee at city hall. The government does not pay its politicians to do the janitorial work so a parent that cleans the building they work in can attend their kid’s science fair. You are only “paid” to do the job you are assigned and not to do the work we all know to be necessary for the sustainability and success of the society.
Yet, the lack of balance we all know comes with a cost – or more harshly a consequence. The consequence of an unbalanced society is multifaceted and severe. As we continue to allow the economic pillar to overshadow the social and civic responsibilities of our communities, we witness rising mental health issues, disconnection from our neighbors, civic disengagement, and an overall erosion of the societal fabric. The symptoms are everywhere: increasing loneliness despite hyper-connectivity, declining voter turnout in democracies, labor strikes due to poor work-life balance, and a general sense of dissatisfaction with life. When a stool wobbles for too long, it is not a matter of if it will tip, but when.
What happens when a society’s citizens are overworked, unable to engage meaningfully in their communities, and detached from civic duties? We already see the consequences in our daily lives. The rise in stress-related illnesses, the decline in trust in public institutions, and the feeling of social alienation are direct results of the imbalance we have accepted as normal. A society that prioritizes economic productivity over social cohesion and civic responsibility is one that burns its candle at both ends, hurtling toward inevitable collapse.
So, what can be done? How do we bring balance back to the three pillars?
First, we must redefine value. Work is not the only valuable contribution a person can make. Time spent building relationships with neighbors, participating in local governance, and contributing to community well-being should be recognized as equally important to financial productivity. This means restructuring our economies to support a more equitable distribution of time. Policies such as universal basic income, reduced workweeks, and incentives for civic engagement could help shift societal norms and expectations.
Second, we must implement systemic changes that facilitate balance. Corporations and governments alike must recognize that a burned-out population is neither productive nor sustainable. Offering flexible work schedules, promoting hybrid work models, and integrating social and civic engagement into corporate responsibility initiatives can help rebalance the pillars. Schools, workplaces, and civic institutions should collaborate to create structures that allow for more holistic societal engagement.
Finally, we as individuals must shift our mindsets. Reclaiming balance requires a cultural shift in how we define success. Instead of glorifying overwork, we must celebrate active participation in all three pillars. This means making intentional choices to engage with our communities, advocate for systemic change, and demand policies that prioritize sustainability over mere efficiency.
A society in balance fosters well-being, innovation, and resilience. When social, economic, and civic pillars are given equal importance, communities thrive, economies sustain themselves without exploitation, and governance remains responsive to the needs of the people. The alternative is continued imbalance, a prolonged exertion that inevitably leads to collapse.
We have reached a critical juncture where we must decide: do we continue to endure the consequences of imbalance, or do we take intentional steps toward realigning the three pillars of society? The answer lies not just in grand policy shifts but in everyday decisions—how we work, how we engage, and how we prioritize our time. Balance is not just an ideal; it is a necessity for the long-term survival and prosperity of our communities. The choice is ours.
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