People don't pay attention. Big epiphany!
We don't pay attention to people, to the road, to our health - we don't want to know, we've got to rush to get things done. Things must be done and now! How well they get done is another thing and whether they are the things which should get done is another question again.
People who want to know ask questions and seek information. They are often called troublemakers, activists, lunatics, anarchists, alternatives, dreamers, Greens!
Most of us only ask questions when we're stung by strong emotion - we don't want to think until our comfort is affected. That's why really annoying advertisements work - they elicit hatred.
People don't pay attention - we're always looking for things to distract us so we don't pay attention even MORE! Saw someone driving to work at 6.30am half asleep, one hand on the wheel, coffee in the other, phone under the ear and food in the mouth. Did this guy have his mind on the road do you think? Well, he cut in front of me and there was no one else on the road at the time. Lack of attention or disregard?
This is how the water crisis snuck up.
This is how the economic collapse of US markets and European countries snuck up.
This is how Climate Change snuck up.
It seems too late to learn to swim once you're in deep water - but that's the way we live.
Things like water rate rises, electricity rate rises, traffic snarls, hospital stuff ups make national and international problems personal - suddenly we wonder and we start complaining and blaming. But were you saving money in fat times? Are you saving now?
Some people pay attention.
They clean up when markets fall buying blue chip bargains and sell when the prices go up - arbitrage. Love that word.
Banks find ways to introduce new fees so that their profit line keeps going up - did Australian banks take a GFC hit? No.
Didn't Kevin Rudd guarantee banks - and isn't that partly why retirees who put their money in banks rather than superannuation funds are now borderline?
Who's asleep at the wheel? If Spain and Portugal crash, if there's a second wave, if we crash who do we sue? Who do we prosecute? It's not a joke.
We expect others to look after our welfare but even parents don't care - often.
Often parents put their needs before the needs of their children - sometimes it's the only way they can survive, sometimes it's selfishness.
Children grow up thinking that's the way it is for everyone - and they don't question it either.
We know that politicians, priests, banks, businesses, teachers, parents aren't saints and yet we expect them to do the right thing - deep down, don't we?
Advertising and marketing are necessary to get through to people - spin is necessary because we're NOT listening.
Or is it because of spin that we're not listening?
So I suppose then it really is about trust - not attention.