Doomsday Landing

If you worry about the future of the world, this post might be for you.

Like most human beings, I am not immune to anxiety. A consequence, no doubt, of efforts I've made in trying to remain as informed as possible about the world around me. I want to be aware of how the world is working, or how it isn't.

A driving anxiety for me is the sustainability of the world and whether or not my kids will get to live in a better world than the one I was born into.

What many scientists and experts will tell you is that the answer to that question is objectively, no. As a species, we have passed the point of no return, and our way of life has critically harmed our planet. The question up for debate among that group of scientists is how severe it is and when it will occur.

Some believe there is still time, and in that short window of time, humanity can make changes to reduce the impact on our global environment. A second way of thinking is that the world's economies will collapse, along with wild natural disasters, forcing the remaining human beings to gather in communities and rebuild, perhaps learning more from the past than before. The other scenarios get worse after that. So what do you do with that? Whose opinion should I trust when it comes to predictions about the future?

I am aware that this understanding about the state of our world is producing an abiding low-grade sense of grief in my life.

I'm learning that it's important to be aware of my own biases. I lean one way on how the world will ultimately respond. My own biases give me a feeling of control and mental comfort. Biases ground me in ways that are often positive. They help me commit to a course of action. But they come with obvious weaknesses. Biases have a way of closing my eyes to the possibilities. Giving my emotional commitment to any possible doomsday scenario will sap the energy I need to be creative, when creativity is most needed.

So while it's tempting to want to land on one particular scenario, I stay up in the air when it comes to the future, and I welcome it on the horizon, whatever it will be. I won’t commit to an outcome that hasn’t arrived. I'll land when I need to, but for now, I prefer to keep my eyes open and consider the possibilities and options that present themselves each new day. The choice to stay open to possibilities is not about becoming numb by injecting recreational hopeium into my soul and refusing to accept reality; in fact, it's the best way I know to confront reality without being overwhelmed by it. I apply this principle to large-scale existential dread, but also to the very local fears that will occasionally plague my own life.

My friend, when things are tough, there's always pressure to land on and accept a dark version of the future that hasn't arrived yet. Resist it as long as you can. In the words of everyone's favourite logical Vulcan scientist, "There are always possibilities." The universe is full of them. More than ever, we need good people. Good people who will commit to being open and sober-minded.

This is the essence of courage.

I challenge myself, and I challenge you. Let's keep flying.

Notes:

I’m currently listening to the audiobook version of Brian McLaren’s “Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart”. This kind of book is probably better in its audio form. The author’s tone and heart come through in the reading, and I believe that’s important considering the book's content.