10 things to explore if you want to understand the world
Once you put your head above the parapet you discover that everything in the world is interconnected. In other words, no one sector operates in isolation of the others. Changes in one area impact on all the others. That’s why society changes so frustratingly slowly. If you want to understand why, ask yourself these questions. Perhaps even discuss them with a friend:
1. Health – What is the impact on healthcare budgets of people living longer? As more and more new and expensive drugs are developed, who should have them and who should pay?
2. Education – Should everyone be encouraged to go to university? Should success only be defined by academic achievement? How has your education (or lack of it) helped or hindered you in life so far?
3. Law and order – Prisons have been described as ‘universities of crime’ yet more and more people are being locked up for relatively minor demeanours. Why do we stigmatise ex-offenders?
4. Environment – Is global warming an issue? What is going to be the impact of continuing rises in energy costs? What things will become unaffordable and how will we cope?
5. Town/country – Are we becoming an increasingly urban society or should we be seeking to retain links with our agrarian past? Is the countryside to be protected or adapted to meet our changing needs?
6. Globalisation – Commerce now operates at a global level. What is the place for the small independent trader? Are we losing choice as global brands conquer every market? Do we even know how to choose anymore?
7. Charity/Public sector – Charities used to focus on campaigning and support for their target audiences. Increasingly they now deliver public services under Government contracts. Does this mean they are no longer free to campaign for fear of upsetting their paymasters?
8. Government – Fewer people vote yet politicians wield more power. How can you make your voice heard in the corridors of power?
9. Migration – 200 years ago people rarely left their local community. Now we live in a rapidly evolving multicultural society. The clock can never be turned back, but will we all lose our racial identities and become one homogenous group? Would this be good or bad?
10. The individual – What freedom do we have to decide how to live our lives? Should we be at liberty to do as we please, or constraint by the common view?
The world is an enormous place and you cannot hope to understand let alone change everything. Your individual success will however be defined by the people whose lives you influence. You therefore need to widen your scope and take in as much as you can.
Rather than try to make sense of the world yourself, you need to work with others. Their views will help you position your own. Here are some ways to leave the world you know and start that exploration:
1. Read wider – Take a more objective look at today’s hot topics. Read around the subjects that interest you. Find people with opposing views and try to locate the middle ground.
2. Attend debates – There are a number of organisations that host debates. Witnessing and perhaps contributing to these can help you understand the reasoning behind opposing arguments. It’s never that straightforward.
3. Search the internet – News search engines can deliver you a wealth of opinion with one click of your mouse. Learn how to search expertly so that you only get the stuff you want.
Bringing it to life
Most people choose to be critical of those who make major decisions. In part this is because they are often politicians and as such are fair game for attack. However, do try to look behind the headlines and rhetoric. Seek out some of the conundrums and paradoxes and form opinions of your own.
Many of these tips and more can be found in my book The Life Plan.