Scarcity vs. Abundance
We’re raised to believe that scarcity is natural. That there simply isn’t enough—of land, of money, of food, of time. But this belief isn’t neutral—it’s cultural. And it’s often wrong.
Scarcity, as it’s used in modern economies, is a narrative tool. It tells people to compete, hoard, and fear. It justifies inequality. But nature doesn’t operate from scarcity. It operates from cycles, from interdependence, from enoughness.
The facts show that abundance is real:
The world produces enough food to feed more than 10 billion people—yet hunger persists because of waste, distribution failures, and poverty, not because of lack.
(UN Food and Agriculture Organization, 2023)Globally, more homes stand empty than there are unhoused people. There are enough houses, but they’re treated as investments instead of places to live.
(World Economic Forum, 2023)Every year, millions of tons of clothes, electronics, and food are thrown away.
(EPA, 2022)The sun delivers more energy to Earth in one hour than all of humanity uses in a year.
(International Energy Agency)
So why do so many people still go without? It’s not a lack of resources—it’s a mindset and a system problem.
When we believe in scarcity, we:
Compete instead of collaborate
Hoard and overconsume “just in case”
Accept inequality and justify exclusion
Design systems that concentrate, waste, and lock up abundance
In Doughnut Economics, Kate Raworth challenges the myth of eternal growth. She shows that we already produce more than enough food, materials, and energy—it just isn’t shared well. She offers the image of a donut: a safe space between not enough and too much. That’s where abundance lives.
Scarcity is not the truth. It’s a worldview. When we change how we see resources, we can build a world where everyone has enough—and no one is left out.
📝 Today’s Game: Curate your own ideas around scarcity and abundance.
Step 1: Reflect
Ask yourself - Where do I see the myth of scarcity playing out in my life?
Step 2: Visualize
Create a visual or written contrast between scarcity thinking and abundance thinking in your own life.
Step 3: Develop
Choose a resource—like food, money, time, or love—and show how each worldview would approach it.