How to Stay Grounded in a World of Global Anxiety
How Shifting Perspective and Embracing Uncertainty Can Help You Thrive in an Overwhelming World
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."
- Lao Tzu
Beyond Doomscrolling: Rethinking Your Response to Uncertainty
We scroll through a constant stream of manufactured crises on our phones like passive spectators to humanity’s eventual demise. Escalating regional conflicts, constant economic crises, accelerating social inequality, the AI revolution, and the impending ecological catastrophe are all screaming from the headlines. Despite our human freedoms, material wealth, medical breakthroughs, and technological marvels, fear and uncertainty gnaw at us in a disorienting world.
The answer is not to resign to the status quo, nor try to solve complex global problems single-handedly, but equip ourselves to navigate a turbulent world with greater clarity. By understanding the underlying forces that shape our external and internal worlds, we can see through the illusions that cloud our perception, reorient ourselves on our path, and make more informed decisions.
This is an invitation to open our minds and discover what resonates with us. We will examine ancient wisdom, natural laws, and human biology to uncover a “not-so-new” foundation for thinking (and living). These writings are not a prescription for life or a claim to absolute truth. Instead, they are a support for your journey of self-discovery, encouraging you to explore and question.
Perspective is everything.
The Big Picture: From the Big Bang to Your Everyday Life
We feel like passengers on a runaway train, watching humanity hurtle toward some undefined dystopia. Still, this sensation of helplessness reveals more about our perception than it does about our reality. The anxiety we feel is not triggered by external events but by our disconnection from a larger perspective that puts these events in context. Overwhelmed by information and stuck in the daily grind, we have developed a limited view of ourselves and the world around us. Are we just cosmic accidents destined to burn out in a meaningless universe?
Throughout history, “myths” have provided collective “larger than life” explanations for how we came to be: An all-mighty god creates the world in seven days and humans in his image; or in Vedic traditions, a golden egg (Hiranyagarbha) emerges from nothingness, containing the seed of creation. While these fantastical stories are outdated, they tap into a primal need to understand our origins and find meaning in our lives.
While myths provide comforting narratives, the rise of modern scientific thought, postmodernism, and atheistic belief systems challenges these traditional stories. As a result, we are left with a sterile, rational view of the universe and our existence. The reductionist narrative? We’re merely biological machines — sacks of meat — the result of a cosmic accident, programmed to pass down our genes, then die. It's not wrong, but that’s not the only story we can tell ourselves.
Your existence began with the Big Bang, the moment the universe was formed 13.8 billion years ago. As space expanded and cooled, atoms scattered into the far reaches of space and time. Over billions of years, these atoms formed galaxies, which in turn formed solar systems with suns – stars – at their center and orbiting planets.
One of these planets became the Earth as we know it today. Here, single-cell organisms developed on this planet, followed by more complex organisms. Finally, around 200,000 years ago, the first Homo sapiens – our direct ancestors – evolved from their primate predecessors.
Here is the profound truth of human existence: Billions of years ago, you were a Big Bang, and now you are “you,” composed of atoms, molecules, and cells from a specific country and living in a particular city. You are still those particles – that “stardust.” We may have considered this at some point in our lives, especially during our youth, when life filled us with awe, but we often forget this fundamental truth as we face more immediate worldly concerns.
However, this isn't mere poetic musing. We actively choose to view ourselves as insignificant, a cosmic “accident” in an indifferent universe. We can also look up at the stars and feel a sense of interconnectedness with the infinity of space and time. Recognizing that we are not random events but part of the universe's intricate unfolding, our perspective shifts on what truly matters, inspiring us to see the world in a new light.
We are an expression of the universe itself. We’re still the Big Bang.
The Illusion of Perception: Not Everyone Shares Your View
The cosmic perspective reveals a crucial aspect of human perception itself. We've evolved to be biased towards visual perception. We believe what we see is what there is, but our perception of the “real” world is incomplete. Humans perceive only a sliver of the electromagnetic spectrum – what we call “visible light.” Our animal brethren experience reality differently: owls see infrared heat, while bees perceive ultraviolet patterns on flowers invisible to us. We only see a fraction of reality through a keyhole and assume that’s all there is.
Although we receive the same raw data from the world through our eyes, our brains actively filter and construct our reality based on our individual experiences, incorporating biases and assumptions, which results in a subjective interpretation—a narrative—that fits our worldview. Two people staring at the same painting can have completely different interpretations based on their upbringing, cultural background, and previous exposure to art.
In our fast-paced urban lives, we encounter hundreds of people daily, on public transit, at crowded intersections, and in giant office complexes. Meanwhile, our ancestors who lived in small villages may have come across only hundreds of people throughout their lifetimes. Unlike our ancestors, who lived in these small communities, we encounter vastly diverse groups of people. Expecting everyone to share our perspectives is unrealistic, leading to constant frustration.
We can not expect everyone to have the same ability to distinguish right from wrong, share similar values, or hold the same worldview. Not everyone will behave the way we want them to. People are not always kind and compassionate. What they do wrong only hurts their character, not yours (unless they pose a genuine existential threat), as Marcus Aurelius writes: “Tolerant with others and strict with yourself. Remember, nothing belongs to you but your flesh and blood– and nothing else is under your control.”
Recognizing that we live in our own subjective realities can help us release the exhausting need to control how others behave. Furthermore, when we surround ourselves with diverse viewpoints and actively engage with these perspectives, we challenge our preconceived notions and gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and our shared humanity.
The Modern Uncertainty: Why Disorder is a Feature, Not a Flaw
The fear of the unknown is natural, stemming from our survival wiring. Physiologically, this is a part of how our mind and body have evolved to function. If we didn’t fear the unknown, we’d probably be eaten by a saber-tooth tiger, or crack our skulls from falling into a deadly ravine, like the now-extinct bloodlines of our curious yet foolhardy distant relatives.
While most physical threats have been nullified by modern civilization, our brains still anticipate danger in the unknown. This extends beyond physical threats – a feeling of dread before an important client presentation or the anxiety of meeting new people stems from this ancient wiring. The exact mechanism that once protected us now creates suffering when we encounter the inherent unpredictability of modern life.
We see disorder everywhere—in global events, economic fluctuations, even in our daily lives—and our nervous systems react as if we're facing existential threats. The bombardment of perceived threats has made our default perspective of the world one of hostility. Maybe we are warped by the attention-seeking, alarmist headlines or populist political rhetoric. Whatever has led us to develop a pessimistic worldview reinforces a sense of helplessness, which in turn leads to less optimal life choices.
However, the world is always in a constant state of change. As you read this, your coffee is cooling, dust is settling on your table, and countless processes are moving from order toward disorder. On a grander scale, the events unfolding around us — regional conflicts, economic crises, and even unpredictable weather patterns — appear chaotic to the naked eye. The unpredictable nature of the world fills us with anxiety. But here's where science offers profound wisdom: "chaos" or "disorder" is actually the default setting for the universe — a feature, not a bug.
Everything tends towards chaos and disorder, known as entropy, as per the second law of thermodynamics. Entropy always increases as particles, which make up everything around us, accelerate through time and space. Instinctively, we see disorder as something negative and to be avoided at all costs. Hence, most people take pride in organizing space and time – having a tidy room or a rigorous schedule – even though everything tends to become a mess again.
Chaos theory teaches us that seemingly insignificant actions or events can have unpredictable consequences. A butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon could contribute to a tornado in Texas. History is shaped not only by significant events, but also by countless small choices and seemingly insignificant 'what-ifs' that accumulate over time.
This interconnectedness means we can never fully predict the future, regardless of how much we attempt to control it. While the trajectory of events appears unpredictable, time is an arrow shooting in one direction. We know the future is inevitable, but its form is not entirely knowable – what will occur is a mystery.
Uncertainty can be paralyzing. To avoid anxiety, we often think about every possible variable, becoming obsessed with weather forecasts, stock market predictions, and economic projections. In the end, we get stuck as to what to do about any situation because we’re afraid we’ll make a mistake or unforeseen consequences will arrive at our doorsteps. What may have been the outcome if this had happened or that had happened? We can’t know.
However, what appears as chaos on one level can reveal complex systems and a form of order on another level. Our bodies’ survival exemplifies this dependency between disorder and order. On the surface, we appear as an “orderly” solid being; however, under a microscope, white blood cells in our bloodstream constantly fight off foreign invaders. If our cells did not fight off infections, we would get sick. The body continually strives to maintain balance within its internal system through homeostasis, a process essential to human survival.
While the overarching tendency of the universe is towards disorder, functional and ordered systems can still exist and thrive within this broader chaos. Who is to say the seemingly chaotic forces around you aren't part of a larger functional, ordered pattern — a part of social evolution or the unfolding of cosmic events — we simply can't fully perceive?
What we can do is choose a different lens. Instead of viewing external events as neither inherently negative nor positive, we can see them as a stream of experiences through which we learn and grow. More importantly, we learn to let go if it’s out of our control. In doing so, we will start to see every day as an opportunity to actualize, to focus our efforts on what we can actually control.
Embracing the Natural Order
Entropy gives direction to time. As Stephen Hawking puts it: “The increase of disorder or entropy distinguishes the past from the future, giving a direction to time.” Entropy allows for both decay and growth. Without entropy, everything would remain the same, stuck in time. If everything were stagnant, flowers wouldn’t bloom, and butterflies wouldn’t emerge from their cocoons. Only over time, understanding that things are impermanent, can we derive meaning from them. Knowing that everything will fall apart and dissipate, entropy drives us to create and express ourselves.
We are neither victims of random events nor masters of our destiny, but conscious participants in the ongoing creative process of the universe.
This perspective doesn't eliminate life's challenges, but fundamentally changes how we relate to them. Instead of feeling trapped rats in a cage, we recognize ourselves as conscious expressions of the same forces that created stars, galaxies, and the capacity for wonder itself.
We are not separate from the cosmic forces around us. We are their latest expression, their newest way of experiencing themselves. Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. Including us. Including this moment. Including whatever comes next.
When we try to fight and control everything, we cause a great deal of frustration, anxiety, and suffering for not just ourselves but the people around us. When we learn to ebb and flow with uncertainty, moving with the natural timing of events, we discover what Lao Tzu knew: there is a rhythm to existence that accomplishes everything in its proper time. Our task is not to force this rhythm but to attune ourselves to it, to find our unique part in the cosmic symphony.
After all, aren’t we the universe becoming conscious of itself? If so, that is far from an accident.
Three Practical Principles
Accept What You Cannot Control: Focus your energy on your responses, choices, and actions rather than external outcomes.
Find Order in Your Personal Sphere: While you may not be able to control global chaos, you can create islands of calm and purpose in your immediate surroundings.
Embrace Impermanence: Knowing that both difficulties and pleasures are temporary helps you remain balanced through life's inevitable ups and downs.
 | A guest post by
|