At the start of a New Year, we find ourselves living in a time of heightened global tension. Multiple conflicts, political instability, and rapid social change have left many people feeling uncertain, anxious, and unmoored.
The quote: „We are living in interesting times,“ often attributed to the British statesman Sir Austin Chamberlain in the 1920s, encapsulates what many feel today.
The Changing World Order
I recently delved into the book by Ray Dalio „The Changing World Order – Why Nations Succeed and Fail.“
He analyzed why nations appear to follow recurring long-term cycles of growth and decline driven by economics, politics, and human nature.
Seen through a spiritual and moral lens, Ray Dalio’s message is less about markets and the decline of empires but more about the inner condition of a society.
Why nations rise and fall
Nations rise when they cultivate humility, discipline, fairness, and responsibility. Education and science is one of the keys to successful economies. But along with technical skill comes the moral formation; productivity flows from a shared sense of purpose, common values and trust.
Money is a reflection of values: when wealth is earned through contribution, innovation, and stewardship, it strengthens the whole.
Decline begins when a nation forgets its limits and loses its moral compass. Excessive debt mirrors spiritual debt—living off tomorrow rather than honoring today. Inequality widens when the common good is replaced by self-interest. Arrogance replaces gratitude; entitlement replaces service.
The decline begins when institutions are hollowed out not only because of bad policy, but because of character and moral erosion.
Internal conflict grows when people lose a sense of shared belonging. The “other” becomes an enemy rather than a neighbor. From a moral standpoint, this is the deepest danger: separation from one another and from transcendent meaning.
History shows that societies disintegrate when power is pursued without wisdom, and freedom without responsibility.
External conflict revealing a deeper crisis
External conflict, in Dalio’s cycle, reflects a deeper spiritual struggle: fear versus trust. Rising powers test declining ones not only materially, but morally. Violence and domination appear when dialogue, humility, and restraint have already failed.
But cycles also imply renewal. Collapse is not punishment but karmic consequence. Societies can realign when they recover timeless virtues such as truthfulness, stewardship, compassion, and reverence for what is larger than the self.
In spiritual terms, Dalio’s insight echoes an ancient teaching:
What a nation gains by losing its soul is never truly wealth and what it saves by recovering its soul can outlast empires.
In this liminal season of transition, we are called to clear the waters clouded by deception, obfuscation, and endless distraction. The longing for truth is no longer abstract; it has become a spiritual and human necessity—quite literally, a matter of survival.
Reino Gevers – Host of the LivingToBe podcast
P.S.: If you enjoyed this article, you might be interested in my latest book, Sages, Saints, and Sinners. Get it today on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever good books are sold.
ReinosBlog 