This article was originally published on September 20, 2019.
At first glance, the outlook—both global and national—is not very encouraging; indeed, it seems as though the world is spinning out of control1… simply turning on the news or checking social media brings us face-to-face daily with complex issues such as corruption, war, and violence. The truth is that the evidence is clear: among global afflictions, the consequences of natural disasters top the list. In this context, how society behaves as a whole in response to emergencies is well worth analyzing2… this raises the question: how does the collective human consciousness respond when its survival is put to the test? Is it possible to find qualities like solidarity in this day and age? Let us examine two perspectives on this issue from globally renowned authors.
Last year, Mexico City went through a painful chapter: the 7.1-magnitude Richter scale earthquake that struck the city on September 19, 2017, was historically analogous to the seismic event that left widespread chaos 32 years earlier in 1985. To be frank, those were not easy days; an atmosphere of panic, uncertainty, and fear was palpable, along with a constant, uneasy anticipation… This is only natural, for as Peter Sloterdijk would point out, it stems from our inextinguishable desire for self-preservation3—meaning we do not wish to die and will do whatever it takes to survive. In any case, we must glean positive lessons from this overwhelming experience to face this and other storms, to echo Cicero.
