The Insiders Report: 14

In this first Insiders Report for the New Year we ask what 2026 might hold for the world and its people.

Image by Alexa from Pixabay

IN OTHER NEWS: There seem to be indications from varied sources around the world, across regions, cultures and languages, that 2026 will be a year in which some major event or events bring very real instability, or even chaos to the world.

We know you don’t really do predictions, but can you tell us if there is validity to this, beyond the degree of instability and chaos that we might consider the ‘business as usual’ level in politics and global affairs? If so, are these events more likely to be of a natural origin, or geopolitical in nature?

THE INSIDERS: It is true to say that we are not especially forthcoming when it comes to predictions for the future. The future remains unknown until it becomes the present, for very good reason, at least so it seems to you, in your realm. And it is not for us to upset this natural balance.

With that being said, the nature of your question is sufficiently general that we could venture to say a few things without it disadvantaging our audience in any meaningful way.

We would say that rather than 2026 being a year in which chaos reigns, it is more a time when you will see instability in the world grow and become more apparent than it has been in the world for some time.

The second half of the 20th century and the first 25 years of the 21st century has seen a time of remarkable stability in the world. Particularly in the light of the growth of interconnectedness. In 1950 it was known, but unusual, for an individua to fly from one continent to another, and yet today, that same event takes place for thousands, if not millions of passengers, each and every day.

Likewise, the ability to hold a phone conversation with an individual on the other side of the planet, was barely imaginable 75 years ago. Today it is free and ubiquitous. And so, humans of every race and creed and nationality and culture have absorbed a massive amount of change since the last period of worldwide instability and indeed, at that time, conflict.

But the nature of your world is changing. There is a tendency at this time for individual nations to turn their sights inward somewhat, to concentrate on their own interests, and to be less inclined to cooperate internationally, for what is seen as the greater good. And this is occurring for multiple reasons, not the least of which is that obtaining consensus on what represents the greater good is becoming less and less clear.

Added to this there are technologies that although are not mature at this time, are accelerating at pace. And many of these have the potential to disrupt human societies in very significant ways. We have spoken at some length about the influence of artificial intelligence. And so there is little more to add in this context other than to say the development and expansion of this technology continues apace. And its potential for disruption of society will only really begin to be seen in the next handful of years.

Developments in energy have the potential to change the of society in ways that few could imagine. If it can be managed that energy on a global scale, global availability, could be both cheap and abundant, and clean, then the possibilities for this are beyond imagination. Of course, whether it is seen to be to the advantage of certain influences for this combination of low cost, abundance and cleanliness, to become ubiquitous remains to be seen. A more pessimistic, if we may use that term, view might anticipate that certain factions within societies would not care to see the benefits of such potential change spread equitably, but would prefer to see the lion’s share of benefits flow to themselves.

One area that sees increased instability is that of geopolitics, which you mentioned. That is, the relationships between geographic and political entities; countries, nations, blocs, powers. This is not a time of growing stability, quite the opposite. Alliances that have been in effect since the middle of the last century continue to be strained and placed under considerable pressure. Not necessarily through the actions of any one or two powerful players, but more generally that the degree of consensus, of agreement on what represents the greater good is becoming less and less certain and more and more in dispute, as each year passes.

And what will be seen is certain pressure points where these conflicts between values, conflicts between political ideologies, begin to run up against one another in ways that see the potential for conflict grow. And the potential for resolution of these conflicts through diplomatic means, through agreement, would seem to be becoming less and less likely.

Now this is not the first time that the world and its people have entered into a phase such as this, where growing instability seems to outpace any tendency to more stability. And it will not be the last.

What is significant is that mankind’s ability to do harm to one another on a truly cataclysmic scale has only grown over the period of the last century. And it would not take much for a seemingly small spark to result in an inferno. And this characterisation is more literal than many in our audience may care to acknowledge.

So, what can the individual do to become and to remain strong in such times of increasing societal and global instability?

The first we would say is to be very clear about one’s motivating force in life. And by that we mean love or hate. Now no one individual is entirely pure; entirely motivated by one or the other. All individuals are motivated to a greater or lesser extend by both of these elements within their lives. But what the individual can do is set out for him or herself, a clear strategy to live their life by, in which love becomes a greater influence and hate becomes a lesser one. And in so doing, one sets the direction for one’s life. One demonstrates to the universe what is important and what one wants. And as you know, the universe is compelled to heed.

Conversely, for the individuals who focus their attention on hatred, the universe is likewise compelled to heed.

So, you can clearly see how, with the right attitude, an individual can truly influence the world for the better. It may not seem like a big thing, but in reality, there is no big thing or small thing, there is only that which is. Great power resides in the hands of the individual, and even greater power in the hands of individuals working together towards a common goal.

And great genuine satisfaction can be gained from living a life that is dedicated to being a positive influence upon the world. As opposed to a negative one. And that power is in the hands of every individual, no matter how seemingly powerful or insignificant on the world stage.