Issues we face - what the hell is going on? What happened? Part 1

Perhaps it’s a middle-aged thing, brought on by the fact that I have become a grandfather in recent years or as I get older, I realise that the adage about the more I know, the less I know rings ever more true, unless of course you’re a keyboard warrior on social media who works in one profession, but overnight becomes an expert in another!

If you currently thought the world was in a state of flux, given events of recent years, e.g., Brexit, Trump, Syria, Rise of ‘The Right’, the new ‘Cold War’ between East and West, Climate Change, Covid and so on, you could be forgiven for thinking so, or at least that’s what it certainly feels like.

Rest reassured, the history of this planet is littered with states of flux. But as legendary BBC Broadcaster John Simpson once described on a BBC ‘5 Live’ interview, ‘a century ago 250 people per million were losing their lives in violent conflict whereas now it’s 100 per million.’ I guess the message is that it could be worse and in the context of centuries gone by, numerically it has.

These figures are of course open to conjecture and a century ago there wasn’t seven billion people alive in the world but there is of course no denying that we are seemingly in a time of transition and fundamental change.

With the advent of 24/7 media coverage our perceptions of what’s going on in the world is magnified. There is no denying that we are living in what could be loosely described as very interesting times and the challenges accompanying these ‘very interesting times’ have ‘put it up to us’ to respond in kind.

What does the future hold for us? Of course, if we don’t get our act together very quickly regarding the planet we currently occupy and make necessary and radical changes urgently, we will pass what is oft referred to as the ‘Tipping Point’ (estimated to be 2030) and be headed firmly in the direction of an almost certain cataclysmic future - well maybe not us - but the generations that come after us, certainly will impact upon my grandchildren, that’s for sure.

Earth is in danger of becoming an uninhabitable planet, or at least a much tougher or a rather more brutal existence than what we have presently. At current estimates we are on course for a warming of the planet’s temperature of somewhere between three and four degrees. Going beyond 1.5 degrees is already projected to be too much.

It’s not quite around the corner but it’s predicted that (if we don’t change our ways very soon), within 100 years the planet will be vastly different from the one we currently occupy.

As a collective, and contrary to the many problems that confront us, this is indeed the most pressing issue we face, but if I may, let’s park it to one side for the moment (it’s just too broad a subject to cover and I’m not the person to do it), and take some time to consider what are some of the other issues we face presently.

Listing the issues, we face is in some ways not so difficult – everyone can think of their own list and there would be plenty of common ground among even just a handful of randomly selected people. But if you list issues, it’s almost in the belief that they can be ‘fixed.’ This is what makes us human – we identify issues or problems, and our brains lead us to believe that we can change or fix things.

What are some of the issues facing us at present?

Before Covid became a by-word for unprecedented, Guardian Columnist George Monbiot spoke of a different kind of pandemic, or rather an epidemic - ‘the age of loneliness.’

Loneliness is defined as ‘a situation experienced by the individual where there is an unpleasant or inadmissible lack of quantity or (quality of) certain relationships whilst Social Isolation is defined as the absence of contact with other people.[1] Studies have shown that ‘Social isolation is as potent a cause of early death as smoking 15 cigarettes a day; loneliness research suggests, is twice as deadly as obesity' [2]

Employment opportunities is of course a major concern (now more than ever) as its overwhelming impact is felt by young people, particularly in this covid era. This is exacerbated by things like zero-hour contracts in what has become known as the ‘gig’ economy and concerns around automation. In addition to this, there has been a steady decline in the quality of jobs and as Jamie Smartt describes in his book, Clarity, the need for Social Entrepreneurship is now one of ‘15 Future Issues’ facing humanity.

Prior to Covid, The UN[3] and International Civil Society Centre[4] highlighted Climate Change and Sustainability as among our most pressing concerns. The same UN report highlights the lack of electoral participation, whilst the alienation from ‘elitist politics’ can be attributed in no small way to what Karl Popper describes as the ‘horrible’ party system ‘since it makes parliamentarians tend primarily to serve their party rather than their constituents.’[5]

And as we have seen with Brexit, the election of Donald Trump, ‘Arab Spring’, ‘Occupy’ and Momentum (in the UK) it paves the way for what Kingsley L. Dennis refers to ‘rising intolerance and frustration from a politically awakened humanity.’

Further to this we are witnessing a growing frustration with and alienation from the established political structures as we know them with ‘a young person’s ability to effectively engage relies heavily on the socioeconomic and political environment in which they live....Over the past few decades, young people have been gradually moving away from engagement in institutionalized structures (such as electoral activities and political parties) towards greater involvement in cause-oriented political activism.’[6]

Issues of Sovereignty, Identity and Nationality have come to the fore again, not just with Brexit and Trump but the recent surge of refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants into Europe as first the 2008 recession took hold alongside wars in Syria, Libya and Iraq that displaced millions, but coupled with the ‘Rise of the Right’ across many European states alongside the United States, many have sought to exploit fears among ordinary citizens as a result.

Pankaj Mishra talks about the ‘irruption of the irrational where ‘progressive versus reactionary, open versus closed, liberalism versus fascism, rational versus irrational’ and where only ‘what counts is what can be counted.’[7]

On the back of this is what is commonly referred to as Normalisation. Donald Trump was compared to Hitler and his ascent to the White House in 2016 has given rise to the fear that views traditionally labelled as fascist are now being accepted as normal. For example, debate has raged over whether the ‘Alt-Right’ movement in the US should even be referred to as such and not as many commentators have labelled them, a fascist movement.

Writer George Monbiot identifies the Corporate Elite[8] as one of the 13 impossible crises we need to deal with whilst issues of Well-Being / Stress / Happiness (or the lack of it) seem to have reached epidemic proportions across the ‘Western World.’

Increasing levels of unhappiness (globally) is more prevalent across wealthier nations (where levels of inequality are highest) whilst ironically, levels of happiness in some of the worlds poorer nations are the opposite.

Happiness is not a ‘state of bursting with glee but of happiness as a sense of well-being, contentment, the feeling of living a meaningful life, of utilizing one’s gifts, of living with thought and with purpose’.[9]

In some ways it is hardly surprising that our levels of happiness and mental health are impacted more negatively than at any time in history. A contributing factor is the amount of information we are consuming from an early age, for example, it’s estimated that someone tries to persuade us up to 400 times per day[10] be that directly, indirectly or subtly, through images, spoken word or otherwise - it’s easy to see why people’s well-being is compromised.

We are bombarded by information, advertising and consumerism. For example, to give you some idea of the growth in advertising industry let’s consider another interesting but illuminating statistic. In 1976 there were less than 10 advertising agencies in China – by 2012, there were 377, 000[11]; also in 1976, the average supermarket stocked 9000 unique products – the figure now is closer to 40, 000 yet it’s estimated that the average person meets their needs from 80-85% of only 150 items.[12]

Western Society has been dominated by consumerism - we are bombarded by images and messages from a wide range of sources - TV, Internet, Radio, Newspaper, Social Media, and so on. It’s virtually relentless and happens in ways we don’t even appreciate or are even aware of.

Yet this begins in childhood where, children as young as four are already susceptible to a wide range of influences, not least of all formal education. A study entitled Origins of Happiness, indicates the strongest factor indicating a happy adult life ‘is not children’s qualifications but their emotional health’ yet we continue down a path of academic achievement as an indicator of future life success.

Our capacity for resilience (in the face of adversity) and / or ability to manage expectation in relation to everyday events or situations, or to simply have perspective on those events and situations is of course another concern.

Take a walk into any decent bookshop and you’ll find whole sections on Popular Psychology, Well Being, Spiritual Health, Physical Fitness, and Healthy Living and so on. There is essentially an entire industry promoting positive living and is an indication of what occupies the thoughts of nation, i.e., I need to be fixed, I need inspiration, I need to change my life, I need to live in the forest, I need to find a different bookshop perhaps!

Matt Avery tells us that ‘Most people tend to measure their life in terms of successes and failures and their success and failure in the forms of possessions and wealth.’[13] But of course, wherever there is wealth there is also poverty.

Poverty is a consistent issue – financial inequality continues to grow and this is only going to be further exacerbated as the Growing Middle Class in emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil – many of whom have yet to experience the highlife or excess of their Western compatriots - will want of course to have a taste and share of it. Stephen Hawking warned us about the ever-growing gap in financial equality describing how ‘we are living in a world of widening, not diminishing, financial inequality.’[14]

Our Skills Base for meeting challenges head-on is also open to conjecture. There are many who believe (and have argued quite convincingly) that our formal schooling only teaches us to remember things. Tommy Lehe refers to Seven-Must have Skills for the 21st Century none of which include traditional subjects such as Mathematics and English but rather refers to Self-directed learning, Meta-perspective and Systems Thinking.[15] Lehe also refers to Digital Communications and Technological Change as does Stephen Hawking and it’s stating the obvious when we say there is no getting away from this, especially in a post-covid context.

Migration alongside Urbanisation is a major concern for the future as more and more people across the globe move towards the cities and away from the countryside. As we have seen over the last number of years, this is not merely a case of indigenous people relocating to cities within their own borders, but the lack of employment opportunities, war, conflict, and natural disasters have forced people to look beyond their own borders in the hope of safety, security and prosperity.

Some issues emerge for different reasons, whether it be those just mentioned, or a failed education system, and arguably, events in recent years has highlighted the failure of education systems to equip their citizens to think critically.

Brexit, the election of Donald Trump, Black Lives Matter and Covid-19 have not only exposed wide ideological and cultural divisions, but many of the assumptions and beliefs underpinning arguments put forward in support of countless conspiracy theories, including for example, the (somehow) still-existing notion among some that the earth is flat, is an indictment of not only our collective failure to equip the masses to think critically, but has demonstrated an even greater failure when so many are unable to countenance change even when overwhelming evidence is presented.

The World Happiness Report provides some insight into why we are so ill-equipped to think critically indicating what seems in the modern era to have become an overriding focus on feelings and emotions as opposed to reaching conclusions based on evidence and rational deduction: -

‘Many of our decisions are led by emotions and instincts, and only later rationalized by conscious thought. Our decisions are easily “primed” by associations, imagery, social context, and advertising. We are inconsistent or “irrational” in sequential choices, failing to meet basic standards of rational consistency. And we are largely unaware of our own mental apparatus, so we easily fall into traps and mistakes... If we think of each individual, every one of us has her own genetic make-up, but the person she becomes depends on the interaction of those genes with the environment she encounters.’[16]

There has most certainly been a shift towards giving much more emphasis on feelings, emotions, instinct and intuition in recent times, but in some quarters, this is viewed as at the risk of sacrificing rational thought, critical thinking and the ability to take information and analyse it to reach correct and informed decisions. Some refer to this as the post-truth era and it has been much more evident in the last few years, where the likes of Donald Trump have deliberately set out to demean and belittle for example, clear evidence across a whole range of issues as ‘Fake News’ often dismissing or attempting to what is patently clear to the rest of us.

The importance of critical thinking cannot be underestimated so let’s remind ourselves of what it is, especially in this era of mis- and disinformation, conspiracy theories, exaggerations and outlandish claims: -

[Critical Thinking is] Conceptualising, applying, analysing, synthesising, and/ or evaluating information gathered from or generated by observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication. It includes the ability to, in obvious and justified cases, say no and being intolerant (e.g. when violation of rights is explained as a cultural habit). It is about seeing how the world can be different, being able to criticise a paradigm and not just solving a problem.[17]

For us to address issues we need to reassert the importance of critical thinking as essential to our continued evolution as humans but also progressing as a society. We are beset with challenges - on a global scale there is much agreement on the key issues we not only face as nations but as citizens in and of those nations.

‘…the realities of poverty, anxiety, environmental degradation, and unhappiness in the midst of great plenty should not be regarded as mere curiosities. They require our urgent attention, and especially so at this juncture in human history... If we continue mindlessly along the current economic trajectory, we risk undermining the Earth’s life support systems ... Affluence has created its own set of afflictions and addictions. Obesity, adult-onset diabetes, tobacco-related illnesses, eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, psychosocial disorders, and addictions to shopping, TV, and gambling, are all examples of disorders of development. So too is the loss of community, the decline of social trust, and the rising anxiety levels associated with the vagaries of the modern globalized economy, including the threats of unemployment or episodes of illness......’

Covid aside, climate change is undoubtedly our most pressing global issue, but of course it is not our only issue as demonstrated above, but this got me thinking about more about many of the very specific issues we face on a day-to-day basis, all of which have varying levels of importance.

Many of the issues I allude to above are general, but in the next blog I have identified a list of challenges, many of which are related more specifically at us as individuals and address our behaviour, attitude, and the ways in which (I believe) we tend to function or operate.

Only when we reflect and change our behaviour can we really begin to address many of these issues if we do indeed accept that we humans need to really reflect upon how we have been and how we continue to act.

After many years on this sweet earth, they are some of my conclusions and are based on observations, what I hear and read, conversations I’ve had as well as discussions and arguments I’ve been involved in. They are a culmination of thoughts I have collated over time. They are not exhaustive of course and are merely my opinion but I certainly believe there is much merit in what I claim. Read on......what's your thoughts?

[1] Research on loneliness | Social Care Wales [2] The age of loneliness is killing us | George Monbiot | The Guardian [3] UN World Youth Report – Youth Civic Engagement - executive summary, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), 2016 [4] Exploring the Future (Scanning the Horizon) International Civic Social Centre [5] Critical Mass, How one thing leads to another, Philip Ball [6] UN World Youth Report – Youth Civic Engagement - executive summary, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), 2016 [7]‘Welcome to the Age of Anger’, Pankaj Mishra, The Guardian, 8 December 2016 [8] ‘The 13 Impossible crises that humanity now faces’, George Monbiot, The Guardian, 25 November 2016 [9] The Tragic Pursuit - The Pursuit of Happiness (weebly.com) [10] Flipnosis, Kevin Dutton [11] Stuffocation, James Wallman [12] The Organised Mind, Daniel J. Levitin [13] Secrets of Happy People, Matt Avery [14] ‘This is the most dangerous time for our planet’, Stephen Hawking, The Guardian, 1 December 2016 [15] ‘Seven Must have Skills for the 21st Century’, Tommy Lehe, www.filmsforaction.org [16] World Happiness Report [17] Justframeworks: View Framework [18] World Happiness Report