Sustainability means growing up
Growing up means to break away from only thinking about your own needs. It means expanding your thinking to include the needs of others. Even others that are not people.
The first time you begin to consider others needs is when you are a toddler. Children have been shown to be very considerate towards others. Yet, they seem to forget this capacity and become self-centered once they are teenagers.
Teenagers fulfil someone’s needs in order to get their own needs met. It’s transactional. They try to be good in school in order to get a praise. Or because they want to apply to a certain college. It’s a tit for tat. For most people that’s where it ends. They do this their whole life.
Some though move to the next stage. They do something because they know it’s the right thing to do. They don’t bound their action to a certain outcome. They do it “Because”.