The End of the World – Not!
Posted on January 15, 2013
Much was made of the possible end of the world last December 21, 2012, at the purported end of the Mayan calendar. Though this prediction had been discredited several times over, that didn’t stop Hollywood from making a blockbuster movie out of it. Nor did it stop people from worrying about it. We’re all still here, so the prediction, like all others before it, was incorrect. Here’s a link to a list of many of the “end time” predictions that have been made over the years. This list doesn’t even include the most recent one about the Mayan calendar.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dates_predicted_for_apocalyptic_events
If you open the link above, you’ll note that many of the entries are by religious figures of one kind or another. According to a Reuters poll: Nearly 15 percent of people worldwide believe the world will end during their lifetime and 10 percent think the Mayan calendar could signify it will happen in 2012.[1]
Francis Darby Scene from the Apocalypse, from Wiki Commons
The bigger question is, why? Why have people throughout history repeatedly predicted the end of life as we know it? Why do people seem to long for the Apocalypse? Are people depressed with their own lives and hoping for a world-ending event that will get them out of it all? Are people bored and looking for the ultimate excitement? Is it a symptom of some universal malaise, some basic dissatisfaction with the human condition? Or is it a natural response to the stresses of daily life?
I wonder. What do you think?
[1] http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/01/us-mayancalendar-poll-idUSBRE8400XH20120501 Chris Michaud, last updated May 1, 2012
People find comfort in thinking that life is beyond their control and dictated by some higher power.