ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the pervasive belief that individual actions are too small to make a significant difference in addressing global sustainability challenges. The ‘Little me’ myth is powerful because it offers a socially accepted excuse for passivity. It either points to the hopelessness and futility of one’s own actions or shifts responsibility for change to another level, to the system or another place. The ‘Little me’ reasoning has probably been with humanity for a long time, but the idea that one’s own actions are so small that they are irrelevant has interacted with growing centralisation, globalisation and concentration of power at levels far from the individual. The ‘Little me’ myth also responds to increased individualisation. The chapter examines the different expressions of the ‘Little me’ myth from a rhetorical perspective, with a focus on how it enables arguments and motives that maintain the inertia of change. The different variants of the ‘Little me’ reasoning are problematised based on research on the role of individuals as citizens and parts of the collective and on misunderstandings related to justice and responsibility. The analysis is based on Swedish examples but is probably just as relevant for other high-emission nations. Finally, some implications are for policymakers, businesses and consumers, encouraging them to foster environments where individual actions are valued and supported. It stresses that enabling individuals to take responsibility through policy incentives, business strategies and public awareness campaigns is critical for achieving broader sustainability goals.
