I don’t understand this world…

World-Weariness. In News and Fiction

Even today the news shocks me,

• about famine and genocide in Gaza;
• about femicides;
• about persecution of homosexuals;
• about climate catastrophes, and our misdeeds in the face of the climate crisis.

I could cry. I do cry. Again and again.

Sometimes I can’t bear the news and documentaries. So I read novels that offer realistic portrayals of situations – so that through the filter of fiction I can get a sense of what’s happening in the world. But even there I’m outraged! How can it be

• that rape is a method of warfare!
• that a woman is held captive in solitary confinement for decades!
• that torture is still being used!

And then I feel helpless and meaningless.

I feel small.

Struggles in (Work) Daily Life

And then I talk with friends and hear how workplaces can be places of conflict:

• Employees are yelled at;
• Colleagues sabotage each other;
• Fear and stress are part of daily work life for many.

Bullying and psychological violence are still a reality for some people. Studies show that almost 50% of people suffer from burnout. In Austria, a representative study commissioned by the Ministry of Health in 2016/17 shows that a total of 44% of respondents exhibited signs or diagnoses of burnout. [1]

Progress and Failure at the Same Time?

We are experiencing a mental health crisis, especially among children and adolescents.[2]

How can all this be – given all our advances in technology, medicine, and science? This seems paradoxical to me.

I understand the backgrounds, the justifications, and the explanations. But in my deepest core, I don’t understand this world. Sometimes I worry that understanding is like accepting. But I don’t want that.

Change Begins with Us

I’m convinced there’s another way.

We can also learn to treat each other differently. We’re allowed to start small.

• What if we approached each other differently?
• What if you reacted differently?
• What if you learned to tune into yourself?

I invite you. The next time something annoys you, frustrates you, or you feel somehow irritated, pause for a moment. Notice your body. Feel where in your body this feeling sits. Then ask yourself: How do I want to act now?

Following the quote attributed to Viktor Frankl, this pause allows you to consciously decide, rather than react driven by emotions.

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

If you’d like to learn in community how to connect with yourself and communicate more empathically with others, and contribute to making the earth a peaceful place, I would be delighted to accompany you on that journey!

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[1] https://www.sozialministerium.gv.at/dam/jcr:e1beb699-ae23-4c12-b326-47413772247e/praevalenz_des_burnout_syndroms_in_oesterreich_zusammenfassung_der_studie_barrierefrei.pdf

[2] Overall, 17% of people in Europe suffer from a mental health condition: https://www.who.int/europe/de/news/item/16-06-2025-with-17–of-people-in-the-region-living-with-a-mental-health-condition–31-countries-commit-to-integrating-mental-health-into-all-policies. (Media Release 16.06.2025)

Worldwide, 1 in 7 children has a mental health diagnosis: https://www.unicef.org/on-my-mind#for-parents.

Photo Credits: Evelyn Binder