The ‘New Normal’ Is a Crock. Meet the New Abnormal

Over the past decade, pundits and reporters have been casually tossing around the phrase “the new normal.” I’ve almost started to hate that phrase — because it glibly glosses over the drastic, ongoing changes and transformations facing our society. Even worse, it signals abject capitulation to fast-worsening conditions, masked by fatalistic, happy-face bravado. “What, me worry!?” (Thanks to MAD Magazine’s mascot Alfred E. Neuman.)

And … what the hell is “the new normal” actually supposed to signify, anyway?

Consider: In the not-too-distant past, extended periods of stability and relative day-to-day calm and “normalcy” were truly the norm — along with some inevitable crime and the occasional intense crisis.

But today it’s increasingly apparent that these former “usual” vs. “occasional” conditions are reversing and trading places. Stability and dependability are fast becoming the exception, while frequent, intensifying crises are gradually becoming our day-to-day … utterly abnormal “norm.”

This huge shift in our human experience and our communal lives together is deeply devastating and destabilizing — and our society has not yet begun to grasp or grapple with its full implications. What does it really mean for human society when social, ecological, climatic, emotional, and economic stability are all constantly eroding and/or collapsing?

We’re talking about every aspect of life here: More mass murders and shootings. Worsening climate, crop, and supply chain disruptions. Insane levels of economic inequality. More and worse weather disasters. Out-of-control capitalism. Ongoing pandemics. Multi-billionaires running amok. Fascism and hate on the rise. Surging right-wing terrorism. Sky-high inflation and indebtedness. Russian warmongering. Rising rates of poverty, depression, drug addiction, and suicide. Liars, cheaters, and charlatans sprouting up everywhere. Rampant escapism and denialism ….

The list goes on and on.

Risk and disruption are steadily increasing

Imagine/remember, for a moment, dealing with an intense crisis only once every few months, as was once “normal” … then, mentally speed it up to once a month. Next, imagine dealing with a major crisis several times each month … and then once or twice each week. Imagine dealing with that reality … constantly.

It’s overwhelming. It’s intensely frustrating. It’s frightening. It feels really crazy.

That seems to be where we’re heading, globally. Not all at once but g-r-a-d-u-a-l-l-y, at times almost imperceptibly, over the coming decade(s). It’s a devastating, slow-motion global train wreck.

And so far, our nation is way behind the eight ball. We’re not assessing the risks of accelerating destabilization properly, and in many ways are still in deep denial about these issues.

But you know who isn’t in denial, and instead has been busily studying the risks and effects of climatic and societal destabilization — because it’s their business to do so? It’s the global insurance and “re-insurance” industry, along with global entities like the U.N. and the World Economic Forum.

They’ve been carefully studying and assessing these risks for many years … so we’d be wise to pay attention to their findings.

In a word, their sober, objective findings are … terrifying. Behind the measured words and dry statistics lie the grim realities of intensifying climate disruption and accompanying severe social and economic disruptions.

The coming changes — many of which are already arriving — will be far beyond merely annoying or frustrating. These changes are or will be so comprehensive, destructive, and ABnormal that a truly accurate phrasing would be “the new, increasingly awful abnormal.”

Even this phrase doesn’t fully capture the profoundly weird and disruptive changes we’re all facing, however. (Notice I say we are facing them, not that we will be facing them in some vague, distant future.) As I’ve written elsewhere, many of these deep societal, ecological, and economic shifts are now accelerating — and many of the natural and man-made systems we depend on are already in the early stages of collapse.

The mental/emotional toll of accelerating abnormality

What concerns me most, as an experienced counselor and “light worker,” is the mental and emotional toll all this accelerating abnormality and chaos will take on our society and our people. In general, we all prefer and need some stability and dependability in our lives, and tend to be somewhat risk averse, or at least danger averse (except for the daredevils and adrenaline junkies among us).

Yet we’re now entering an era in which risk and danger will be increasing exponentially (to insurance companies’ chagrin), while stability and dependability — of both natural and man-made systems — will keep eroding or collapsing. As this world-wide process keeps accelerating, many things we now take for granted will fall apart or fade away.

Consider, for instance, what will happen economically as agriculture and our society face worse and worse disruptions and weather disasters. The shocking truth is that soon most of our tax money and resources may be directed to dealing with major climatic crises or cleaning up after frequent mega-disasters. Funding to run the government effectively will slowly dry up, as will money to pay for humanitarian or progressive programs and other “non-necessities.” Soon — meaning within the next 1–2 decades — most of our time, effort, and money may have to be directed to frantic “crisis management.”

Welcome to the freakish New Abnormal.

This coming chaos is a surefire recipe for widespread social breakdown and an unprecedented, dire mental health crisis. What’s really crucial going forward — yet is in very short supply in our citizenry — is psychological and emotional resilience.

If we are to survive the coming challenges, and perhaps even thrive in their midst, we need to learn how to create strong, resilient systems, both inner and outer — especially resilient internal systems that can help us survive emotionally.

Several spiritually-oriented and self-help authors have addressed this issue of “resilience,” and I’m not going to repeat their efforts here. I’m just pointing out that resilience is, in essence, a form of positive, effective adaptation to adverse conditions — one that requires sustained attention and mindfulness. And, of course, much actual practice. (Practice, practice, and more practice, as the saying goes.)

Without such sustained attention/practice — perhaps through meditative and mindfulness techniques — most of our fear-based attempts to quickly “adapt” to the coming changes and collapse(s) will likely fail.

In other words, the coming conditions will be SO extreme and difficult, and often so wildly unpredictable or uncontrollable, that our usual day-to-day consciousness and “normal” coping mechanisms will utterly fail us.

If we are to get through the coming “tribulations” with most of our sanity and our humanity intact, we really do have to consciously face what’s coming — and is often already beginning — now.

We truly can’t afford to live in denial anymore, or to luxuriate in false, comforting hopes about our future or some imaginary, “easy” adaptation.

Truth is, adapting to our crazy-making new abnormal won’t be easy. Yet adapt we must. As the insurance industry and our global watchdogs well know, the time for change is now, and the time for denial is over.

Practical preparedness and resilience are both key

But all we have to do is look around, follow the news, and pay attention to know that almost all governments and corporations are NOT responding in any adequate way to these looming or intensifying crises. And they are NOT going to magically save us, or wisely guide us through these trying times.

No, at this point it’s clear we are all going to be thrown back on ourselves, and our own inner and outer resources. If we are to be truly resilient, we need to practice preparedness on all levels — physical, economic, emotional, and spiritual.

I’m not talking about frantic “doomsday prepping”, which is far too fear-based and greedy for my taste. I am, however, talking about rational, intelligent preparation (such as having at least one month’s supply of food, water, and cash on hand), as well as ongoing inner preparation through therapy, group work, “consciousness-raising” efforts, growth-focused Internet meet-ups, meditation, contemplation, coaching, etc.

Developing inner resilience is a MUST for the coming changes and challenges. So is basic preparedness.

Both are crucial, and they both take time and conscious effort.

Best to start now, if you haven’t already.

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This post was previously published on MEDIUM.COM.

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