The changes ahead can be even greater. There are potential threats to the very threads of society. But those risks can better be managed if we all put life into perspective. Millions of people are adapting to the chaos by reducing their lives to the bare essential. This contraction can feel forced and create pessimism and apathy. But this negativity needs to be reversed. The great contraction can be seen in a positive light. It should be obvious that by narrowing down material needs to the essentials, empties life of the inessential things. This narrowing of our focus minimizes the unnatural desires for objects that only satisfy temporary wants.