Now more than ever, I’ve been hearing and reading the phrase “Now more than ever.”
When you google that phrase, you will be bombarded by hundreds of thousands of results from election day to today.
Most are calls to arms from organizations and individuals who understandably feel threatened by the changes they anticipate. Their intention is to create a sense of urgency that will translate into more support – both financially and otherwise.
That anticipation of negative outcomes has some obvious merit. But as psychologist Amos Tversky, said the problem with pessimism is that “you live the horror twice.” (He himself was a Jewish refugee during World War II.)
The reality is that in a macro sense, worrying about the future is a natural reflex. Yet on the micro level, it is energy that could be channeled to make a meaningful difference in someone’s life instead.
The child who suffers in poverty needed a mentor as much on the day before the election as she needed it today.
The struggling worker in Pennsylvania needed a job with living wage as much in 2016 as he does in 2017.
Our environment needed you to conserve natural resources in October and much as it does in January.
When we throw the phrase “Now more than ever” around too lightly, our attention gets misplaced on the collective circumstances of our political system and away from the individual circumstances of the people who need help moving up.
“Now more than ever” can show a lack of appreciation not only to the plight of people who are struggling but also of our own history and how much we have accomplished. For a little context, please take two minutes to read:
- some good news about how much progress the world has made in the last several years and
- an article that will blow your mind to learn how some of the phrases we throw around today are literal descriptions of the poor living conditions experienced by our not so distant ancestors.
The best antidotes to worry are being grateful for what we have NOW (not fear of what we might lose later) and using the positive feeling to fuel action NOW to support someone who has an immediate need.
“More than ever” is hollow. “Now” is full of promise.
So, what are you doing now?