There are those who believe that we may already have caused irreversible damage to the environment, and that it is only a matter of time before we suffer the tragic consequences. Some argue that the inertia of political systems is so great that, even if it were possible to avert disaster, the appropriate changes will not be made in time.
While there clearly are grounds for such pessimism, we should not forget that the totally unexpected can change all our forecasts. Almost no one foresaw the dramatic turn of affairs in Eastern Europe during the latter months of 1989. Those who did see the possibility of such changes expected them five to 15 years in the future. Even now, no one know to where they will lead. The world may become more stable as a result, or it may be thrown into even greater turmoil. Only time will tell.
We have entered the age not of prophecy and prediction, but of the unexpected. Ahead of us may lie many more unexpected political changes, unexpected economic changes, unexpected disasters, unexpected changes in climate, unexpected changes in thinking, unexpected discoveries, unexpected changes of heart among our leaders - and possibly changes so unexpected that we cannot even imagine what they might he. Moreover, as the pace of change continues to increase, the unexpected will come upon us faster and faster.
There are no plans we can make to deal with the unexpected, but we can prepare ourselves. We can develop greater stability within, so that the unexpected does not arouse our fears and throw us so easily; and we can foster a greater inner flexibility, so that we can respond to changes with presence of mind rather than through the patterns of the past.
Then, as we begin to gain a greater inner stability and equanimity in this changeful world, we may find the courage to express our deeper values and use our technology to create the world we really want. Perhaps then the global brain can develop a global heart.
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