One Small, Critical Step in Responding to a World in Crisis

Thanks to @pixel_talkies via Unsplash

My oldest son, a student of history, once told me I’d rather study history than live through it. But here we are, living through times of seismic change in almost every domain, from the political to the environmental to the global world order.

Call it a state of poly-crises or permacrisis or just a big fat messy world; this much is clear: We are living in very uncertain times, and it is making most of us uneasy.

It’s no surprise, therefore, that more people are experiencing mental health issues than ever before, as Forbes recently reported. It’s also worth noting that a growing number of people are bringing their concerns about the state of the world to therapists and that more than a few have observed that these concerns are actually healthy responses to a world in disarray. (See the recent New York Times article, “How Climate Change is Keeping Therapits Up at Night.”

The Million-Dollar Question

So, what then do we do, especially if we are among the people who wish to do our part to make the world a better place?

There is no simple answer, of course. I know because I’ve been wrestling with that question for some 20 years in conversation with dozens of experts, hundreds of ordinary people like me, and the authors of countless wonderful books.

But the simplest way I can summarize what I have come up with is this:

We need a mind shift: one that helps us rethink how we are perceiving the problems of our day, the sense of presence we bring to them, and our sense of power to make a difference.

There’s a lot that falls under all of that. But one small truth that helps me—and that seems particularly important for people who think of themselves as leaders or change-makers or just caring adults—is that we all need to remember that there is something we can do, and if we are trying to engage others, that they can do.

One Critical Step in a Much-Needed Mind Shift

Research shows, after all, that people go to great lengths to avoid information that makes them feel bad—though, importantly, as Harvard Business School has reported, not for the reasons many think. As Kristen Senz, the growth editor of Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, wrote:

“Research has suggested that people tune out negative information so they can plead ignorance and continue harmful behavior. Indeed, it may seem like people are purposely avoiding information to create an ‘excuse’ that frees them from the accountability of their own decisions.”

So, for those of us who are in the trying-to-make-the-world-a-better-place business, it may be very helpful to keep this in mind: It’s better to help people feel good about themselves — for the good they can do — than cause them to feel bad for what they can’t.