Looking at the world we see a vast array of terrible problems, many millions go without adequate food or water, lack adequate sanitation, or live in slums, while millions of others are overweight. Wars arise here and there, nuclear weapons which threaten our very existence are stockpiled or aimed at us. Democracy seems little more than a single choice between a few ideological groups every four or so years.

Half a billion people live in countries that have a shortage of water. Waste products of various kinds poison the planet. The environment continues to be destroyed in so many ways, the world’s ecosystems are shrinking, pollution threatens many of them and harms human life, global warming threatens to radically change our world and yet there seems to be little we can do to stop it.

Most individuals who wish to do something about it, feel incapable of making an impact, it feels like a train hurtling along in a direction that can't be stopped, you can see it heading for destruction but are powerless to stop it, even if we have treaty after treaty, agreement after agreement, the train still keeps on rolling.

These things keep repeating, it seems without end. We have the means to do something about it but we don't.

Surely this is not a sensible way to live.

Strangely enough many are content with things as they are and don't want the boat to be rocked too much. But bear in mind that this indifference and contentment with the status quo brings consequences and those are found throughout the world in the state of the environment, the global economy, lack of democracy, starvation, wars, etc.

We have to change for the world to change, but the problem facing people is how to change. We can try to be more positive, caring, etc., but the deep rooted problems are the animal drives.

Many people have a faith that certain politicians will bring about the change they require in the world. They won’t fundamentally – new problems keep appearing all around the world.

It is a myth that things are constantly improving – technological improvements yes, but not in the wisdom to manage that technology. Each generation inherits the technological advances of the previous one, but little wisdom is transferred, as that is personal.