Many readers of Transition Times will know that what we are facing is the collapse of civilization as we know it. What seems to be less well understood are the psychological roots of the environmental, economic, and social crisis that humanity currently faces. Insight into the importance of the psychological aspects of collapse can add much needed psychological sophistication to our responses and activism. Many people in the United States share the desire to create a life-affirming and sustainable society and yet the widespread and culturally accepted avoidance of personal psychological work is a serious impediment to progress.