If you require proof that people can be confronted with the obvious and ignore the consequences, consider what happens when a road is shrouded in fog. Everyone has seen situations where drivers plunge headlong, convinced they know what's ahead. Everyone has read about massive pileups which bring the oft-repeated warning: "If people would just slow down and use common sense."
Growth for the sake of growth is a lot like speeding down a dark, foggy road. Even in the best weather, people tailgate with a frantic herd mentality, symbolic of society's rush to "get ahead" of something difficult to define. The drive to speed up the pace of life is at odds with growing congestion and less time to enjoy what we supposedly work for. The mere acting of rushing around has become a mindless goal for many people.