Why We Gasp, Then Go Numb

I’m writing this because I was curious, so I researched it. And because I care — about you, about me, about our mental, physical, and spiritual state.

We see or hear about human suffering in the news every day. This constant stress is making our brains numb. Yesterday our screens were bombarded with the shocking scenes out of Nepal and China, where a flash flood swept through entire villages and ended hundreds of lives in minutes. We gasp in horror. For a day, maybe two. Then it’s back to the norm — until the next disaster, the next crisis, the next conflict hits.

And here’s the hard truth: this is only going to get worse. Call it climate change, global warming, Mother Earth pushing back after everything humankind has unleashed on her — whatever label feels right to you, the disasters are going to keep coming, and they’re going to keep coming harder. Add in the wars already brewing over oil, over power, and soon enough, over water, and this stops being an occasional gut-punch on the news. This is becoming our new normal. This is survival mode now. :(