The events of the last two years were unexpected, painful experiences shared uniquely by so many around the world – at the same time. They have forced us to ask a lot of really big questions, pivot on a dime and reassess life on the regular.
This time of widespread questioning (and subsequent reassessment) might justifiably be deemed the “The Great Revelation” because it marked a turning point, when “doing unto others as we would have them do unto us” jumpstarted desperately needed equilibrium for the planet and psychological equilibrium for all its people.
Prior eras of widespread questioning include “The Great War (1914-1918), “The Great Depression (1929-1934)” and “The Great Recession (2008-2012).” Of course, we won’t know for a few years if historians dare designate this time as worthy of “Great” status. But current conditions seem to meet the criteria: extraordinary struggles that span several years; pain and suffering affecting almost everyone around the globe. As a result, millions of people are in the position of questioning and reappraising their dreams, habits, values and life philosophies at the same time.
Through this process, millions could easily arrive at similar answers that trigger an era of great hopelessness. Or, millions could arrive at insights that tip humankind toward an era rich with hopeful possibilities. As a professional practitioner of strategic foresight for over 30 years, parsing my research and interviews on 2020 and 2021, I’m sensing we’re close to an inflection point.
What could be the determining factor? It’s the degree to which a critical mass of people arrive at the same insight; the one so powerful it cracks the code on how to wisely answer most any question. Why, many have already landed on it! If millions more also come to it, the outcome would be a better future for everyone on the planet.
Because of three things that make this time of questioning different than past eras, there’s actually a decent chance this could happen:
ONE: A broader span of concurrent events, creating a broader span of concurrent pain and suffering, creating the potential for critical mass. While it’s not necessary to detail all the events for you (after all, you have lived them), summarizing them showcases their sheer magnitude:
First came the pandemic. Then commerce, cultural and sporting events shut down. Work life shifted for everyone and for many ended all together. Supply chain challenges and shortages ensued along with joblessness and an economic recession. Fear and panic for one’s personal health and finances were widespread.
As if these weren’t enough to bear, other events wracked us at the same time: George Floyd was mercilessly killed as the world watched in real time. Protests, demonstrations, destruction followed. We were confronted with news of other untimely deaths and unfortunate arrests of our brothers and sisters; debates and riots on the ‘mattering’ of lives ensued. Even those conditioned to hard times felt raw. The state of US political affairs (misinformation / disinformation) only served to elevate uncertainty and emotions. Insurrection and untruths threatened our democracy. They still do.
What’s more, the backdrop for all of the above included ever-more-serious cyberattacks that breached private and precious data. And widespread suffering from climate severity: more severe hurricanes, deadly, off-season tornadoes, catastrophic floods and fierce, fast moving wildfires. On top of 2020’s deep sorrow from an inability – due to COVID protocols – to give succor to loved ones hospitalized, 2021’s pain was fueled by more senseless deaths: senseless school shootings, the reckless ransack of a holiday parade, record levels of alcohol and drug related deaths.
And as the holiday season approached, along came Omicron.
Even for those who’ve experienced the kaleidoscope of emotions brought about by previous wars and depressions, the sheer number of ways 2020 and 2021 have touched millions of lives around the world is part of what differentiates our current age from prior “Greats.” This has prompted another global phenomenon unique to this time:
TWO: Millions asking themselves similarly deep questions at the same time. Here are 25 which have been shared with me from colleagues, trusted advisors and friends from across the globe:
- What do I want out of life for myself and my family?
- And how, now, can I cast a plan to achieve it knowing what I know now, about how life can change in a minute for me and those I love?
- Am I vulnerable to dying soon because of COVID? Are my affairs in order?
- If I died next week, what would I regret?
- If prudence requires that I be physically distanced from people, work collaborators, geographies and experiences I love, is life worth living?
- Do I want to stay in this relationship? How much harder do I want to work to make it good?
- Is it time to forgive? Time to forget?
- Do I like my job? Do I need a new one? Do I want to work from home?
- What kind of school experience is best for my kids?
- What’s a minimum acceptable standard for public health and safety?
- Am I a racist? Am I a racist subconsciously and don’t even realize it?
- When does life in the womb really begin? Which takes precedence, the life of the mother carrying the child or the child?
- What am I personally willing to sacrifice in service to abetting climate change?
- What income, and freedoms (if any) am I willing to compromise in order to keep my country functioning and strong in the face of terrorism? From those countries that seriously threaten us economically and militarily?
- To what degree do I believe in Capitalism?
- How do I define shareholder value?
- What do I expect of my citizenship, my elected officials? Elections in and of themselves?
- What does the United States constitution actually say? Mean? Guarantee?
- What is justice?
- What is fair?
- What is truth?
- What is my purpose in life?
- What would I like my legacy to be?
- What do I stand for?
- How do I live – and exemplify to others – what I’ve concluded above?
What also makes 2020 and 2021 uniquely in contention for “Great” status- and most importantly – the potential of a hopeful inflection point – is this:
THREE: What most every acute thinker is likely to discover in their search for answers and homeostasis. When facing sizable distress or cognitive dissonance, human nature tries to quickly resolve it. Some of this effort involves deliberate, conscious processing. Far more takes place subconsciously. But there is no avoiding it: As humans we are compelled to try and reach a psychological state that reduces or eliminates tension. Particularly common ways to achieve this equilibrium are a change in belief, attitude, or behavior; a rationalization; the framing of one’s situation with some larger meaning. In each of these the ideal is a singular insight that resolves all the disparate considerations of the tension at once.
And this is what is so remarkable right now: A potentially critical mass of people are not only asking themselves similarly big questions, but — in their struggle to find homeostatic answers — they’re arriving at the same insight!
It’s this: Any reconsiderations which I hope to cast my own future also cast your future. How you answer your most serious questions also casts mine.
Despite decades of experiencing a global economy and global warming, it took a teeny virus to make this insight personal, palpable and real to millions; perhaps billions. However, the insight applies to much more than Covid-related questions. (To see what I mean, go back to the 25 questions previously noted and for those that you yourself are considering, answer them with this insight in mind.)
Though not new, the insight reflects a simple and profound truth. The famous naturalist John Muir expressed it quite succinctly 150 years ago: “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” On this small planet, my future is hitched to your choices. And yours, mine. Our lives are deeply, inherently, and forever interconnected.
If enough people arrive at this insight, the result will be an inflection point felt ‘round the world.’ – “The Great Revelation.”
But what are the odds this will happen? Well, you tell me: After all, my future depends on your answering the questions before you with me in mind. Can you? Will you? Perhaps that’s the hardest truth to own up to: Creating the tipping point we all hope for starts not with others around the world changing but with oneself. What are the odds that you—and I– will take this to heart? And rather than later, right now; today?
Written by Marsha Lindsay.
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