Sunday inspiration: Crisis as turning point
It would be difficult to deny that humanity is in crisis at the moment. Apart from COVID-19 which threatens the health and economics of every nation on Earth, there is the climate change problem, wealth inequities and a 75% increase in homelessness since 2010, the acceleration of mass extinctions, and more.
The English word “crisis” comes from the Greek word “krisis” meaning decision. A crisis is a turning point: a crescendo or climax of a problem at which a decision must be made to turn the tide. According to Merriam Webster, a crisis is (a) the turning point for better or worse in an acute disease or fever; (b) a paroxysmal attack of pain, distress, or disordered function; (c) an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is [needed]; (d) a situation that has reached a critical phase.
It is through crisis that evolution occurs. This is true for biological species, such as the frogs that mutate when the streams become polluted. We adapt to biological events that threaten our existence because we must. In our personal lives it often takes an emotional crisis before we embark on a personal journey to change ourselves and the patterns that brought us to that difficult place.
This idea from medicine that a crisis is a turning point for better or for worse, a decisive moment when the patient will either improve or die, sums up where we are at the moment on Planet Earth. Unfortunately, humans often tend to be more reactive than proactive. We put off the hard decisions til tomorrow so that we can have a momentary pleasure today, and we fail to plan […]