I described in the previous chapter how these are ‘interesting times’; albeit not using that particular phrase. What I wrote was, “ …. the feeling that we humans have to look outside of ourselves to find the inspiration and the motivation needed to make the changes in the sort of short timescales our present circumstances demand.”

Expanding that to state: “We live in very challenging times. Widely acknowledged for it seems rare these days to meet someone who doesn’t sense, to one degree or another, a feeling of vulnerability to today’s world. A sense that many aspects of their lives are beyond their control.
These are also times where it is widely acknowledged that the levers of privilege and money are undermining the rights and needs of so many, that there are unprecedented levels of deceit, lying and greed; all enveloped within an abuse of power.
That’s even before we embrace the matter of climate change and whether or not there is a potential “end-of-world” tipping point; the so-called beat of the butterfly’s wing.”

The rest of this section, under the theme of the challenges of our present times, of necessity, takes a closer look at six areas that, when I was musing about the construction of this book, came to mind as worthy of a degree of introspection. Six chapters that explore Selfishness, Power and Corruption, Short-termism, Poverty, Greed and, lastly, Materialism.

Now the last thing I want you, dear reader, is to groan and put down the book simply because you have no wish to plough through a litany of all that is wrong with our present times, most of which you are probably familiar with.

My justification for the following chapters is fundamentally wanting you to see where I am coming from and why I believe that these modern times are so very dangerous times for humanity, and much else in the natural world, and that we, as in mankind, have to find a way forward.

That’s how I set out when thinking about the overall objectives of this section. That my purpose was to reveal my own knowledge of each issue, including a good dollop of research, to offer my personal perspective of each same issue, and to allow you, the reader, to form your own conclusions and, inevitably, how much you agree or disagree with me.

But there are also some surprises; well there were for me. As I undertook the research into each aspect of the psychology, and more, of these challenges, I discovered much that had never occurred to me before. I suspect I am not alone regarding these findings.

So gird up your loins for a while as we start into the first aspect of these interesting times. Which is about the power of negativity.

464 words Copyright © 2014 Paul Handover