! Threats And Opportunities

Here’s three cheers for Jon Haidt, who’s reminded us in ‘The Happiness Hypothesis’ that our lingering primitive selves respond more quickly to a threat than to an opportunity… and thus, a more powerful emotional weapon in the hands of politicians and journalists and others with an axe to sharpen.. while astute moneymakers, more than the rest of us, look always for an opportunity… so President Bush hastens to warn us that ‘Iran remains a threat’… and so do you, George…and so do bananaskins, and wet leaves on a warming sidewalk after frost… and polar bears to garbage cans - themselves under our human threat from global warming… It’s a world of threats, and threats of threats… wars and rumours of wars, as the good book says… maybe I should stay in today…but then… was this, then, how the West was won? I think not… Some say, still say, that somewhere out there there’s One who made a world entirely of opportunities… Meanwhile, pity politicians in a world of spin: if Dubbya-doh came out tomorrow all bright-eyed and Bushy-tailed (by security men…) and announced in upbeat tones, ‘Iran remains a golden opportunity…’ we’d all turn to each other and say, ‘What’s he up to, then? ? ’ and oil shares would fluctuate... well, there you are… if boredom threatens at this point, an ice-cold can of beer remains a golden opportunity…