Weird seems like a pretty good word for right now. The origin of the word goes back to the 15th Century, and described those with the ability to control fate. It got picked up by one William Shakespeare who gave us the Weird Sisters in Macbeth, and whose frightening appearance takes us to the uncanny and alarming which encompasses the modern use of the word. These are weird times.
It felt, not so long ago, that complex, unfamiliar challenges would take it in turns to arrive, allowing us to separate them from the everyday, and come to terms with them. Now, it feels more like a kaleidoscope of challenges, and that every morning we wake up to them arranged in a different way. It can be hard to know where to start - climate change, Ukraine, energy prices, increasing inequality, Covid the sequel, species loss - the list goes on. It's hardly surprising we have an epidemic of mental health issues.
The Germans have, as ever, cornered the market when it comes to a single wo…
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