Safety

What will we need in 2026?

“December 25, 2025” Aviva Rahmani

Safety is a basic need for all sentient beings. The trouble is that sometimes, in the human world, as much as in any other, one agent’s idea of safety impinges on another’s experience of safety, freedom or even survival. For example, watching birds at my bird feeder in a two-day blizzard. The biggest birds command the food I can uncover and drive off each other and smaller species. In desperation, the smaller birds wait patiently till they can opportunistically swoop in. But then they bully eachother for dominance.

It seems to me that a lot of evolved spiritual and pragmatic qualities contribute to negotiating for feelings of safety when competing interests come in conflict. It’s no use my listing those qualities. Since time immemorial in the human world, religions, law, philosophy, therapy, recovery programs and social etiquette manuals have already done that. I think it would be a very good idea if more of us paid attention to some of that wisdom before we make up our New Years resolutions for 2026. I intend to take my own advice. I can use it.