One of the themes I drum on is the gift that comes with a broad range of experiences, learning, or interests. If you’re lucky enough to have any of these and you are paying attention to current events and trends, you see how today more than ever we have a dynamic existence; all aspects of society connect and affect each other: it is like a mobile where you see the strings connecting the hanging pieces, but the relationships are not always linear.

Yesterday I saw an article about how social moods are disrupting the election prospects with Trump and Sanders emerging as non-traditional players, the uncertainty around which is disrupting the stock market. Politics and economics are two sides of the same coin, of course. And the social mood is reflected in the themes of popular culture. In addition to the numerous TV shows that feature it, three of this year’s most popular films carry the survival theme: The Martian is, at its core, a survival film. Add to that my recent experience (see review) of two films set in the harsh American Frontier, The Revenant and The Hateful Eight, and you’re tempted to store fresh water, buy cases of powdered milk, and raise chickens.

Don’t misunderstand me; I watch the show first. THEN I think about it. But if you keep an eye out for patterns in social phenomena, you are more likely to see them. Some people I follow (Robert Prechter et al) have created a study they call “Socionomics,” and it deals with preciously these connections between the social  and economic environments. Their ideas have been gaining credibility and a larger audience in the last several years.  The application for them is to be able to project developing social phenomena into forecasting and predictions economically.

If you suspect that the culture we consume is emitting narratives that validate the human experience and possibly offer clues about the future, you are more likely to see the strings which make the puppets dance.

WH