Out of Control

In The Age of the Unthinkable, Joshua Cooper Ramo reflects on how our world is becoming more unstable and difficult to understand, a world characterized by unprecedented disruption and dislocation. His book is a fascinating survey of this theme, ranging from subatomic science to geopolitical strategy.

It’s easier than ever to feel that things are out of control. They actually always have been, but we didn’t feel this as much or as easily as we do now that technological development has magnified and accelerated so much. Although the times have changed, our natural reaction to the sense that things are getting more out of control has probably always been the same: to seek more control. We can do this in lots of ways: through favors done for others, making or saving more money, enhancing physical strength or beauty, acquiring more information or knowledge, et cetera. 

The widespread appearance of the supernatural in popular culture also expresses our desire for more control in a world that seems ever more out of control. Batman, Wonder Woman, Black Panther, the X-men, the Avengers—all of them portray a power we wish we had.

I wonder though about the dangers that may come with this quest for more control. Some are obvious. Ramo writes about the paradox of military deterrence (the arms race): every state wants to feel secure, but it is doomed in this quest because the very steps it takes to feel more secure almost always make other states feel less secure. But how might seeking control affect an individual person?

Imagine a thick, virtually indestructible rubber band. Pulling on one side is the loss of control. Pulling on the other is the quest for more of it. By pulling harder for more control, do we change anything about this reality other than the strain on the band and our muscles? 

What would it look like instead to pull only so hard as we need to care for ourselves and the relationships and work that have been entrusted to us, and to give some attention to staying aware of this natural and enduring tension? One of the paradoxes of our life is that we are both powerless and powerful, helpless and capable. Living in a healthy tension within that paradox will serve us better than increasing the tension and reducing our awareness of it.