It is so difficult to write this Daily Paradox. Why?
Because the things that are going right with the world, and the things that are going wrong, are happening at such speed and with such interaction that it is almost impossible to sort the sheep from the goats. No sooner is one crisis finished than the Oval office becomes the scene for an argument about attire. And other things.
Desirable attempts to make people more accountable for their behaviour clash, as they always have, with the wish to help the genuinely helpless. The credo that democracy should be protected against autocracy is admirable, but democracy is becoming so like mob rule that many doubt its efficacy. Some democracies are already very corrupt. A few people think the United States is one of them.
Pile a climate change, whose control – if control is possible – appears to be entirely down to the activities of humankind, on top of all this and the anxiety generated forces those in charge to demand more output from those who work for them. The relevance of the output is seldom considered. Add the threat that human intelligence is at risk of subjugation by automation, with the consequential loss of work – one of the main purposes in life – and fear becomes terror. That is the precursor to mental distress and breakdown. Excessive efficiency depreciates human discipline. Too ardent loyalty creates division. Growth exacerbates both climate and humanity. Add to this the tendency to turn work into an unthinking process wherever possible and the result is mind-boggling regulation of micro-management attribute. This corrupts regulation.
Even with all these conflicting pressures humans have great resilience, a modicum of common sense and an instinctive desire to live as long as possible. Soon we will have the option to live very long lives, possibly never-ending. Work will be energised for us by solar or other natural sources. We will have control over our bodies that permits us to avoid the need for medical attention. What control will we then have over our minds?
Living through 90% of a century of relative peace and prosperity I have to ask ‘what did we do to develop our intellect?’ Not much, it seems. We produced wizard technology but didn’t exercise our brains to think about why we are here and what makes us happy. So addicted have we become to nastiness that the world’s economic and military leader is able to say that his rude and crude behaviour to a guest is ‘jolly good television’. Shame on him.
As Taj Parikh says our collective mind and our individual minds may be in recession. Our process-driven lives, skilfully designed to share intellect and brain, may have effectively made us lazy about thinking. I have seen much evidence of that.
What fate awaits a society that doesn’t admit its own mistakes?
The well-behaved and decent people of the world should not adopt the dustbin tactics of such leaders but they should be more forthright in expressing their views, in taking the trouble to let their masters, whether work or political, know that they want a rational and peaceful world. They should also defend those attacked for power dominance and territorial gain. How are they to work out what justifies defence? By being reasonably informed by people who demonstrably are trying to make a peaceful and somewhat fairer world. If they can’t see who those people are they should be taught how to discern them as part of their education.
Yes, in a world of lightning communication, judgment of what to believe and respond to becomes more important than ever. Parents and educationists have a critical role in our new world order. Let us make them the focus of spending to run a Rational World Programme.
Perhaps The Perimeter Institute or the Singapore Management University could lead.
If we do it, it will save us military costs in the end.
Provided the end isn’t too soon.
Good morning
John Bittleston
COOL: Next time a row starts to break out in a meeting quickly bring it to a halt by saying:
“Hey, pack it in. You’re not in the Oval Office now.”
Views please to [email protected]
02 March 2025
