You’ll notice increasing articles about the stormy times the planet is facing. For a short, maybe even blissful, period we thought the chaos was all being caused by Mr Trump. We like to attribute impending disaster to the latest political deity wannabe. They dress so well for the role, don’t they? Rather like those erotic birds in Madagascar, but not as pretty. When feathers start to moult we have to look elsewhere. Well, the feathers are falling off the US President though it’s not yet polite to say so. So why is the planet in such an hysterical mess?
In a word “speed”. Fast speed of technological development, of communications, of transient whims. In addition, Slow speed in two areas. The first is the weighty institutions we established to control, organise and govern us. Nothing illustrates speed as vividly as a lame horse. I like Keir Starmer, still (just) the British Prime Minister, but I wish he’d have his hoof seen to. His limping isn’t helping anyone. Putin’s another one that needs to be shod (I said shod, not shot. We’ve got more than enough shooting at present).
The second lack of speed is in dealing with climate disaster. If we don’t address it soon it will overwhelm us all.
Just as reading people is key to handling others, so reading situations is key to dealing with the multiple challenges they present. These skills can be taught – but only up to a point. When they are needed these skills demand judgment based on observation, analysis and risk taking. There is always a chance of not noticing, of poor analysis and of risk failure. Keeping abreast of these three potential areas of doom needs initial and repeated attention to speed.
Going faster is easy. Our inclination to win makes us step up smartly in any competitive situation. Unfortunately we are less successful at telling ourselves when to slow down. So we have come to believe that fast is always good. For many things it is efficient, time-saving and beneficial. For some activities, however, it is disaster. Physically eating too fast gives you indigestion, driving too fast gives you points on your licence. Reacting too fast can be a cause of war and other hostile confrontations. Those with quick minds have a real risk of over-reacting as we call it. I have this fault myself so I know how troublesome it can be.
The only way to deal with it is to pause when faced with a tricky situation and say to yourself ‘Does this demand a quick riposte or can I think about it first?’ Politicians, in particular, should weigh their words more carefully. For a party leader to say that a country should ‘react with pure cold rage’ to the tragic death of a citizen is irresponsibility gone mad. People listen to their political representatives, though I sometimes wonder why.
The widely reported shift towards the more ordered society of China is a reaction to the repeated abuse of freedom. Nobody who has lived with free speech wants to give it up. Humans developed brains to be able to apply reason to the problems that face any living creature. The fact that reasoning brings with it the responsibility of behaving rationally seems to be forgotten.
It is for this reason that I think we need to know much more about conscience.
Because conscience is the lightening rod of reason.
Do you agree?
Good morning
John Bittleston
Even – perhaps especially – if your answer is NO we’d very much like to hear it at
[email protected]. Thank you.
8 June 2026
