The Emperor Has No Clothes: COP29

Image by Li-An Lim.

The ability to see and accept things as they are is difficult for us humans. We tend to repeat behaviors that fail to yield the results we want, lulling ourselves into the belief that this time the outcome will somehow be different. We mask our repeated endeavors as exercises in optimism even when we’re deeply mired in denial.

Yet, accepting reality as it is, including acknowledging moments of failure, is a prerequisite for making meaningful change. One of the...