In recent days, I have started to see things differently.
I am used to looking at what happens in the world, especially in politics, as an indication of the decline of the global society we live in. Most of the time, it leaves me feeling disheartened, frustrated, and fearful to see how those who are supposed to improve the lives of people only make things worse.
Recently, I’ve begun to realize that, above all, this is an indication of the evolution humanity is going through. It is a difficult yet necessary phase, in which we are witnessing and experiencing, in full intensity, a truth that has always existed: we, the people, do not matter to those in power. We matter to them only as a means to gain control and wealth, but our well-being, our quality of life—none of that truly interests them.
It has always been this way, in varying degrees. In recent years, this truth has become increasingly evident, and over the past year, it has reached its peak. The pretense is gone, the masks have fallen, and all that remains is this impossible truth: we do not matter to them.
Who are “they”? Those who hold power—whether it is economic power or political power. It could be the owners of a global corporation, raising prices simply because they can, or governments around the world making decisions solely for their own benefit because they can.
The disconnect between those in power and the people has become so tangible and undeniable that it can no longer be ignored, dismissed, or rationalized as natural or logical. I am not saying that no one continues to ignore it, deny it, or justify it in their minds as normal—many people do, and some even believe this is how it should be. But more and more people are experiencing the consequences of this disconnection, and that is important because only through this realization can a new world be built.
Only when we experience this disconnection can we understand what is missing and what is needed. Only from this understanding can new leaders emerge—people who will act for the benefit of others, rather than exploit them for personal gain.
It will take time, no doubt, and the journey will not be easy, but we must recognize this reality in order to break free from it.
We must also understand that this disconnection exists within all of us. Each of us has some degree of self-exploitation, of ignoring our needs, desires, and emotions, of justifying patterns of behavior that harm us and sometimes even others. It is not just “them” who need to change—it is all of us.
Understanding that all of this is an indication of the collapse of the old world—a world that appeared to act for the benefit of people but actually exploited them—brings me a sense of relief in the face of the distress I sometimes feel about the current reality.
This realization also strengthens my commitment to the path I have been studying and teaching for all these years: to value myself more and more, to pay closer attention to myself, to do what is good for me, to connect with myself more deeply. To build a new world within me, one that influences my surroundings and, in some way, the world as a whole.
I returned recently with this new understanding. I don’t know if I needed to distance myself from my usual environment to see things differently, but this is what’s happening: I am beginning to understand what’s good about having leaders like Trump, Bolsonaro, Johnson, Putin, and others. It has become so clear that we do not matter to them that it is impossible to continue living as we did before.
We have no choice but to create a new world.
