"The Limits to Growth" was a book published in 1972 by researchers from MIT, commissioned by the Club of Rome, which explored the long-term destiny of civilization.

The concept known as the "Seneca effect" suggests that collapse or ruin happens rapidly and unpredictably, while growth is slow.

The text discusses how Jane Hirshfield's poem "Before the Collapse" captures feelings of uncertainty and impending loss on a global scale, drawing parallels between personal experiences and larger societal shifts.