"Taken individually, we are no more than a grain of sand on the sea shore, a wave in the ocean, dust on the surface of infinity. Because we are confronted with these problems daily on our television screens, we are faced with constant cognitive dissonance. We want to help, but there is all too little any of us can do. Under such pressures, the mind turns inward, seeking satisfaction within the self, or fulfilment within the narrow circle of family or friends, or salvation within the closed community. That inward turn is evident in almost all Western societies today. It takes radically different forms -- from consumerism, to 'spirituality' and the exploration of the self, to aggressively anti-modern forms of religious practice and belief. These phenomena could not be less alike yet they have one thing in common: they are an attempt to create safe space, a shelter from the world outside, a haven in a heartless world. In Christopher Lasch's poignant phrase, we seek 'psychic survival in troubled times'." - Jonathan Sacks
site content: Brian Gongol
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