Uncertainty in global society is growing, and tensions are rising both domestically and internationally. We’re bombarded with unsubstantiated information that appeals only to our emotions, and even someone like me, who deals with a wide variety of information on a daily basis, finds it difficult to understand what’s going on.
We want to escape this chaos as soon as possible. The countries and regions that emerge first from it will be the ones to lead global society into the next generation.
To escape this chaos, we first need to understand its causes. The causes are extremely complex, and there is no easy answer, but I personally have come to believe that the root of all evil lies in “hypocrisy” and a “sense of omnipotence.”
In short, isn’t the current situation the result of society as a whole brandishing virtues and goodwill that are at odds with our true character and inner selves, escalating the situation in a direction we don’t want at all, and even in a direction that makes our lives unsustainable?
And the driving force behind this escalation of hypocrisy is a sense of omnipotence. Unfounded confidence or arrogance that there is nothing they cannot do and that they can get everything they want has escalated hypocrisy, and before they know it, they find themselves struggling in a bottomless quagmire.
This is where a mindset of maintaining the status quo comes into play, and they may have prioritized maintaining the status quo over solving problems, avoiding self-reflection.
Hypocrisy and a sense of omnipotence, when used in moderation, can act as a lubricant for democracy, but when exceeded, they become a deadly poison.
Democracy is not omnipotent. There are positive and negative aspects, and currently, only the negative aspects of democracy are surfacing.
I believe that hypocrisy and a sense of omnipotence underlie this. In developed countries in particular, curbing the hypocrisy and sense of omnipotence that are unique to developed countries could be the start of a return to normalcy. (Kei Kitajima)

※Translating Japanese articles into English with AI