What’s the biggest danger facing civilization? I’m sure there are multiple opinions regarding this question. Here’s mine.

The biggest danger is ignoring and denying facts you don’t agree with. Notice I didn’t say facts you don’t believe, but things that you know are factual and choose to deny and ignore.

In a world of “Is” and “Isn’t,” there is no spinning a fact. A brick is a brick and cardboard is cardboard, and only one can be used to build a wall that will stand. A fact will stand on its own. It doesn’t need to be propped up with cardboard.

Ignoring bricks and espousing cardboard is dangerous because a world built on one will collapse.

Ask any schoolteacher about a conference with a parent about their child’s problematic behavior in class. What they will tell you is that some parents will issue a form of denial like, “not my child.” Now to be fair, some of these parents just can’t believe and are astounded their child is capable of such behavior, but other parents know its a fact and will deny it until the day they die.

To my eyes, there is a growing segment of society that believes facts don’t matter, especially when it comes to getting what they want. If we can’t acknowledge facts, we will be unable to build anything sustainable because it will collapse from its own weight if we refuse to weigh the facts.

I honestly don’t know the answer; I only know the question: How long will something last when we claim what is, isn’t?

All the best,

John

Hear the recorded version below.