What Can You Do In a World That’s Gone Crazy

It all begins with awareness — then comes the letting go

Choose to pierce the bubble — Image AI-generated by the author

Going crazy doesn’t happen overnight, but there are certain extremes worth pointing out that have been maddening. Every continent and country has its own peculiarities, which is why I’ll give two examples that apply to the entire world. Feel free to add your own experiences to them.

The first event was the attack on the Twin Towers in 2001. Its impact on the world has been enormous: a fundamental acceleration of polarization across every domain. Between countries, between religions, between peoples, within peoples, in politics, and on the streets. Everywhere, “us against them” emerged.

The second event was the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Its impact has been truly extreme, and as a result, polarization has become even more deeply embedded in society. Families and friend groups were torn apart. A certain fear crept into society, and with it, distrust.

I don’t need to go into the countless conspiracy theories surrounding these two global events. We’ll never agree on those anyway, and I’d rather look at possible solutions for reducing polarization in society. At the same time, we shouldn’t close our eyes to what’s happening to us.

Everyone I speak to has, to some degree, “woken up.” Everyone knows, everyone senses, that something isn’t right. There have been too many lies, each eventually exposed. Why would the same people at the top — in politics, in the media, and even in science — not lie again?

So we’ve all become a little more awake. That’s the good news. The bad news is that we largely don’t realize we’re being played against each other. That is the problem.

The Machinery of Polarization

Don’t you find it strange that you’re expected to be either for or against something? Science, in theory, advocates for open debate, yet those who question the dominant narrative are systematically excluded from it. The parties no longer talk to each other; at best, they talk about each other. Exactly what science is not supposed to be.

The same goes for the media. At talk show tables, you see nothing but like-minded people, dutifully nodding along with the script they’ve been given. If a dissenting voice is occasionally invited, they face a wall of resistance and are skillfully ridiculed. Basic journalistic principles like hearing both sides have vanished from journalism.

Politics is cut from the same cloth. Politicians attack each other on form rather than content. Every issue is flattened; you must be for or against. Those in power repeatedly try to sideline emerging opposition, or if necessary, prosecute them for matters that may well be fabricated.

I describe these things to make clear just how polarized our society has become, and how these three institutions — politics, media, and science — only make it worse. Whether they have dark motives or are themselves trapped in their own bubble, the effect is the same.

I don’t necessarily want to blame these parties for polarization, even though they could conduct themselves differently and thus make society a bit more civilized again. The fault lies with all of us. No one holds power unless that power is given to them by all of us — the people.

If we aren’t aware of what’s truly happening in the world, if we don’t see that we’re being pitted against each other, then we hand over our voice and our power to people who misuse it. Those politicians, journalists, talk show hosts, scientists, and so on — they do this mostly unconsciously, and only sometimes deliberately.

We, the people, willingly ride an emotional rollercoaster. Why? Have we grown numb? Have we in the West had it too good for too long? Have we been oppressed by the West for too long? Don’t we see the downside of a materialistic life — namely, being enslaved by the system, even in the East?

Why do we voluntarily climb the same ladder of “success” that those at the top are on? Are we secretly hoping for more and more power for ourselves? Do we desperately want to belong? Are we afraid of being canceled? We see it happening in science, in media, and in politics.

Bubbles at War

I’m not asking you to switch bubbles; that would be missing the point. I’m only asking you to think about this. The other bubble isn’t any better than the one you’re in. Yes, we’re all in bubbles. You can deny it as loudly as you want, but then you remain asleep. Then this piece is pointless for you anyway.

All bubbles are worthless. Because they’re all insular. Today’s bubbles are at war with each other. The people inside them are in trenches. Words have been replaced by grenades. You have to be for or against. But surely you get to decide that for yourself? It begins with awareness (waking up).

Realize that bubbles don’t work for a conscious society. The art lies in stepping out of the manufactured bubbles ourselves — all of us, the people. To stop taking things at face value, and to investigate everything ourselves. To remain open to truths that will present themselves naturally. That begins with awareness.

Those at the top have created bubbles that now sometimes resemble cults. We can’t pull cult members out of a bubble; they’ll have to become aware themselves. But that’s not our concern. We’re concerned with ourselves. What we can influence is stepping out of our own cult. Yes, we have all been brainwashed.

I know most people find this exaggerated, even though they sense that my view is probably correct. It can’t be true, it mustn’t be true. It’s too overwhelming if our world is held together by lies. You can deny it, but you feel that it’s so. And you know that not only those other bubbles are built on lies.

You know that your own bubbles are also built on lies. At least, I hope you know that, and that you sense it. Because it’s our only salvation (the people’s). We are seriously lost in the world and must work hard to avoid moral bankruptcy. Only awareness can save us; we must become aware, en masse.

One Person Can Start

No one is to blame. But we all have a trench to leave. The grenades can fall silent. It starts with one person climbing out of the trench, dusting themselves off, and reaching out a hand to the other side. You can be that person.