Preparing for the End of the World

Lately I have been having dreams about the world ending. A giant wave, a deep crack in the core of the earth, a tsunami of fear washing away the world as we know it. The people around me panic and run for cover but there’s nothing they can do to save themselves. When I share this with friends, they nod solemnly and empathise. It seems my nightmare echoes the reality around us.

Climate change, famines and wars across different corners of the planet, population decline, AI disruption and broken socio-economic systems paint a grim picture of the future. News and social media reinforce this growing sense of loss of control and hopelessness, an extension of the existential dread that many experienced during COVID. Climate anxiety is now a widely reported phenomenon as people are experiencing mental distress or anxiety associated with worsening environment conditions, (Moench, M. 2023) further amplified by media coverage (Kesner, 2025).

Perhaps the world really is ending and we’re all doomed. But the optimist in me won’t give up. In case the world is ending, I am planning to survive. Here’s what I think would be essential for survival:

Community
As social creatures, our community shapes how we experience the world, our beliefs and how we navigate life events. They are built on shared values and can meaningfully contribute to individual’s and environmental wellbeing through collective action. Social resilience, the ability of communities to adapt, recover and advance has become a focal point for public research and policy makers. Ventriglio et al (2024) found that Social networks and community structures buffer individuals from the psychological and social consequences of stress, while supplementing individual coping abilities. They also build our social capital as it facilitates resource sharing, collective problem solving and emotional support during difficult times (Norris et al, 2008). Research by Olcese M et all (2024) suggests that the mere perception of one’s community being more resilient can protect subjective wellbeing against the impact of mental distress. Participating in community promotes social resilience and self-efficacy, provides sense of belonging, as well as tangible support and a safe space for one’s voice. Be it a cricket club, a weekend choir, or attending Tuesdays with ThreeFish as a Hogan Certified User in India, your presence and participation keep communities alive and enables values to be translated into collective action for positive change.

Creativity
A close friend told me, “There’s already so much content and AI slop out there that I don’t believe that my voice matters”. I reject that resignation and the surrendering of our minds to technology. There has never been a more important time since the age of the internet to share our unfiltered thoughts, original ideas and doodles with the world. Creativity is inherently human. Art is how humans have shared their story since the beginning of time, from handprints on cave walls to epic ballads of kings and wars. When future generations look back at this moment in history, what story would we want them to know? Creativity is increasingly recognised as essential for solving global challenges like pandemics, inequities, and food security (Elia & Margherita, 2018; Fields et al., 2021; Lehtonen et al., 2019). Discussions on the future of work cite creativity as a core capability in a globalised, digital economy (Schwartz, Deloitte Insights, 2019).

Creativity does not need to be perfect or marketable. Among its many benefits, art offers an opportunity for reflection, to understand and accept our own human experience. When was the last time a piece of media made you chuckle, wonder about the world or even stayed with you for more than 12 hours? If you haven’t encountered that recently, I would encourage you to share your own voice and express yourself to the world. 

Candor
Candor may be the trickiest tool of all, yet by far the most effective. In a world of media manipulation and deepfakes, candor may be the rarest and kindest gift we can offer to one another. It is also one of the most effective tools for resolving conflict. Many global and local challenges persist because of conflicting interests and competing perceptions of loss-benefit. Resolving them would require an open and honest understanding of all factors of the equation. Candor invites open dialogue. In a globalised world with interconnected systems and multiple levels of stakeholders, we can no longer view issues in isolation.

While the immediate impact of truth telling can seem uncomfortable, research on candor (Le B et al, 2025) shows that honesty benefits relationships even when the truth hurts. Expressed and perceived honesty fosters better relationships regardless of whether the parties share the same perception of honesty.

My takeaway from the year gone by, is that this new reality is here to stay. AI and social media will continue to influence our social reality, climate change and industrial damage have reached an irreversible stage, technology will become more advanced and deeply integrated into everyday life, and change will come at us rapidly. Amid the overstimulation, we still retain the choice to respond intentionally. We can choose to invest in communities, foster our creative voices and create the capacity for honest dialogue.

Armed with this toolkit, and with hope woven through it, we may still have a fighting chance for survival. I am reminded of Dr. Jane Goddall’s famous last words of having hope and fighting for humanity – “because without hope, we fall into apathy and do nothing.”

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