It's not the end of the world, even though it may feel like it
Over the last few years, I've heard more than a few Christians proclaim that "these are the last days" because of the hard times and big changes that the world is rolling through right now. That these tough times/doomsdays were prophesied in the Bible.
In truth, dire times are just perceptions brought on by change. There have been plagues, world wars and economic depressions that have made it seem like the world is coming to an end many times in the course of human history. Just last century alone: in the 40's we saw World War II; during the 50's and 60's we had the Civil Rights movement; in the 70's, the Watergate scandal. Today there is widespread terrorism and a downturn in personal social interaction, due to technology. But like previous hard times, we will likely survive this, too.
Over the last generation or so, Americans have lost touch with much of their history. Whether due to the decline in education or the spread of social media usage and general distractions, the end result is the same: the context in which to put events is largely absent. Some of the population isn't aware of, or has forgotten, the grueling struggles of the Great Depression in the 1920's, or of the millions of Jews killed at Auschwitz. Thus, it can seem like the world we live in at present is at the worst place it's ever been, and that this must signal that the end is near.
Zoom out to the big picture and we see that in many ways, circumstances are better for many citizens of the world than ever before. Life expectancy is up, and opportunities abound for more people (including women and minorities) than ever before. The human race is making progress, albeit very slowly, as has always been the case.
Another factor people tend to forget is that the only thing certain is change. Paradoxically, we tend to resist change, and then when it occurs, we adapt to it and soon forget about the previous circumstances. "This is how it is and this is how it will stay" are the thoughts that underlie the present doomsday proclamations. But as my father used to so wisely remind me, the cycle of life has always been the same: things go down, and then they come back up.
It's a good idea during tough times to keep company with the optimists who remember the cycle of life principle. There will always be the naysayers; after all, we are biologically programmed to notice what's wrong in our environments. But that doesn't serve us well in today's modern world.
I surround myself with those who, as someone said to me the other day after a brief conversation about the world's ills, "it'll get better."
Yes it will. Birth, regeneration, death. That's the way it's always been.
In truth, dire times are just perceptions brought on by change. There have been plagues, world wars and economic depressions that have made it seem like the world is coming to an end many times in the course of human history. Just last century alone: in the 40's we saw World War II; during the 50's and 60's we had the Civil Rights movement; in the 70's, the Watergate scandal. Today there is widespread terrorism and a downturn in personal social interaction, due to technology. But like previous hard times, we will likely survive this, too.
Over the last generation or so, Americans have lost touch with much of their history. Whether due to the decline in education or the spread of social media usage and general distractions, the end result is the same: the context in which to put events is largely absent. Some of the population isn't aware of, or has forgotten, the grueling struggles of the Great Depression in the 1920's, or of the millions of Jews killed at Auschwitz. Thus, it can seem like the world we live in at present is at the worst place it's ever been, and that this must signal that the end is near.
Zoom out to the big picture and we see that in many ways, circumstances are better for many citizens of the world than ever before. Life expectancy is up, and opportunities abound for more people (including women and minorities) than ever before. The human race is making progress, albeit very slowly, as has always been the case.
Another factor people tend to forget is that the only thing certain is change. Paradoxically, we tend to resist change, and then when it occurs, we adapt to it and soon forget about the previous circumstances. "This is how it is and this is how it will stay" are the thoughts that underlie the present doomsday proclamations. But as my father used to so wisely remind me, the cycle of life has always been the same: things go down, and then they come back up.
It's a good idea during tough times to keep company with the optimists who remember the cycle of life principle. There will always be the naysayers; after all, we are biologically programmed to notice what's wrong in our environments. But that doesn't serve us well in today's modern world.
I surround myself with those who, as someone said to me the other day after a brief conversation about the world's ills, "it'll get better."
Yes it will. Birth, regeneration, death. That's the way it's always been.
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