As I follow world affairs, which I do avidly, it seems to me that as a species we are more concerned with the past and the future, than we are with the present. I know that's a broad-brush statement but as an example, let's look at the situation in Ukraine. Often when a commentator explains the continuing turmoil in Ukraine, she will describe its history, which led to a sizeable part of the population having Russian roots, and she will explain its future options, in terms of a closer relationship with the European Union or Russia, but not both. The reason it can't be both, seems to be because of its history, i.e. the ethnic split in the country. But after many years of apparent peaceful coexistence between the now warring factions, what's brought this to a head? Well, in my opinion, it's the age-old problem of money. Ukraine's economy is floundering, it needs help and whichever direction it turns, there is a tension created within and outside Ukraine.
Now there's no way I could possibly propose a solution to this problem. If there was a simple solution I am sure it would have been proposed and implemented already. What does seem crazy to me, however, is that this type of problem, i.e. fighting over ethnic origins, is so common yet so futile. The past has gone and there is nothing we can do about it. The future is indeterminate. All we know with any certainty is the situation that confronts us now. As I get older and indeed into my twilight years, I often wonder if I'm getting any wiser. After all, with decades of experience surely I should be better placed than,say, when I was a teenager, to make better-informed decisions. And if better decisions provide a lower risk of misfortune, should I also be happier than I was in my youth? It's probably not a good idea to look back to teenage years, because like all adolescents I had the typical ups and downs that we all have probably experienced during the transition from childhood to adulthood. I think I was probably at my happiest when I was about nine years old. Why? Because as I recall, I took every day as at came, I lived for the present. Of course I didn't have many years to look back on, particularly as from zero to three I couldn't remember anyway. But as I recall, the future really didn't concern me. Life was all about having fun!
So why as we get older and apparently wiser does present-focussed happiness seem to go out of the window? My simple answer is - I don't know! That said, it is probably true that at any age, a happy event - like a celebration, party, day out, sporting event, reading a book, etc - is usually focussed on the present. Whereas a morbid event - like a funeral or a remembrance service - is focussed on the past. I can't think of any future (anticipated) events that we celebrate. We can get excited by a vision, but the celebration happens if and when the vision becomes a reality. Our gazing into the future, individually and collectively, is often dominated by worrying. Now worrying is an interesting exercise. It involves using your imagination to create something you don't want. The frightening thing is, that having used our creative energy to envision a nightmare scenario, we often then take actions, consciously or sub-consciously, that help the unwanted event to happen. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Returning to the situation in Ukraine, throughout the reporting of the troubles, the focus has been on very negative outcomes - invasion by Russia, civil war, financial meltdown, etc. I haven't seen any predictions of an improving situation.
Albert Einstein said: "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning."
That says it all. Have a nice day!
No comments:
Post a Comment