When The World Goes Mad

When it seems as though the world's gone mad, maybe the universe is just doing what needs to be done. A change is necessary. It's probably overdue. Perhaps some weakness has been uncovered and needs to be addressed immediately. Our old ways of doing things have not just gone out of fashion; they've lost all reasonable justification. 

Change can be maddening, but perhaps what we perceive as madness is a symptom of the chaos and the urgency that drives that change to occur. Change is uncomfortable, because things always get worse before they get bette.

Change is chaotic, because the best way forward is subject to debate. Those who reap the rewards of the current world order will fight to preserve that order. They'll push back against the rising tide - and encourage others to do so - until the tide overwhelms and flattens everything in its path.

Change is jarring, because new ways always seem odd and unacceptable to those who are used to the way that things have been. It's even more stressful for those who long for a selectively nostalgic past.

Change is fateful, because it picks winners and losers. Those who have prospered richly in the past may struggle to find their way in an emerging future.

Yes, there are times when the world seems to be going mad. These are major turning points, and they are often accompanied by suffering and catastrophic loss. But failing to change will lead to even greater losses. When the world does go mad, our primary responsibility is not to stop it and to pull it back to where it started, but rather to guide it rationally and thoughtfully out of the chaos, and to fight tirelessly and courageously for a brighter and more effective tomorrow.

Copyright © 2017 Daniel R. South 

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