{"id":203075,"date":"2019-07-02T14:59:20","date_gmt":"2019-07-02T09:29:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=203075"},"modified":"2019-07-06T23:49:48","modified_gmt":"2019-07-06T18:19:48","slug":"abnormal-the-new-normal-a-new-world-order","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/abnormal-the-new-normal-a-new-world-order\/","title":{"rendered":"Abnormal The New Normal \u2013 A New World Order?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Suji Hettiarachchi<\/a> –<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Suji Hettiarachchi<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s a question worth asking because many people are genuinely worried there is so much of negativity around us.\u00a0<\/span>Society has become more and more competitive, combative and complacent. Anti-government protests, strikes, demonstrations are so apparent and commonplace and destroy the function of the governments.\u00a0<\/span>There is a diminished level of public trust in anything and everything. Sri Lanka, as a country, faces a real problem.<\/p>\n

With due respect to our Colombo Telegraph readership, I am inspired to continue writing<\/span><\/strong><\/a> about the situation of Sri Lanka. In my journey forward, the positive comments and criticisms (those who speak from their brains not hearts!<\/b>) I have received had expanded my knowledge giving me absolute satisfaction, strength and vitality.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of our Colombo Telegraph readers\u2019 comments made me wonder; what is the New Normal being referred to?<\/b> Is that an emerging concept or an entity or is it about who we are or what we do? My curiosity journeyed me to explore as it relates to my writing about trust, distrust (mistrust), fear and uncertainty and now the topic of \u2018New Normal\u2019. In layman\u2019s terms, the trust is firm belief and the distrust is absence of it.\u00a0<\/span>Fear is being afraid and the uncertainty is doubtfulness. We all are familiar with these words. The new set of words relating to this article is normal and new normal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The abnormal to be considered normal and to be the new normal in our societies in the 21st<\/sup> century is scary and frightening.\u00a0<\/span>The developments, our far-reaching knowledge, and information rich society should have enriched the normalcy to a higher state and have given us the best of every world imaginable! Instead we have created a new scary and frightening world order.<\/p>\n

Normal vs. New Normal\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Normal came to English language around the 17th<\/sup> century; from Latin word \u2018Normalis\u2019 which means \u201cmade according to a carpenter\u2019s square, forming a right angle. Extended meanings came into being and accordingly, it began to refer to \u2018according to, constituting, or not deviating from an established norm, rule or principle\u2019<\/p>\n

Searching the origin of the term new normal did take me on the road of research. The origin accordingly goes back to World War 1 but came to be used in our time after the 9\/11 attack in the United States.<\/b><\/p>\n

Accordingly, the New Normal\u00a0is a freestanding phrase<\/b>, idiom and a clich\u00e9. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is used in varied fields to describe a new form of societal condition. The original intent of the term has changed over time and its literal meaning or figurative meaning had gone to a state of vague ambiguity to extent that it cannot be immediately defined in any context as per everything in the world so that we are kept in a state of confusion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When I researched the term I found it to be more relevant to Economics, Workplace relations, Medicine and Psychology.\u00a0<\/span>In the field of Economics, it is used for global uncertainty and instability. Thriving in the age of the individual the term refers to \u2018doing things right than to succumb to the tyranny of urgency\u2019 referring to playing by the new rules for the long term. The term first used in business and economics that refers to financial conditions following the financial crisis of 2007-2008 and the aftermath of the 2008\u20132012 global recession and post-crisis environments. The term has since been used in a variety of other contexts to imply that \u2018something which was previously abnormal has become commonplace – the world is now way above the normalcy\u2019<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Everybody wants to rule the world<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Even to a blind eye, it is an obvious sight that every one wants their voice heard and rule the world. A whole new world of fear and doubt has emerged. Making fabrications, misconceptions, spreading of lies and false news, misperceptions, not wanting to reveal the truth and reactionary behaviour. In the new normal society breaking normal principles such as; reasonableness, fairness, natural justice, legitimacy etc. have become anyone\u2019s game.<\/p>\n

The 21st<\/sup> century new normal is creating chaos, turmoil, disarray, havoc and mayhem.\u00a0<\/span>It is in front of our eyes. Of course, Sri Lanka<\/span><\/strong><\/a> and Sri Lankan\u00a0 <\/span>people will survive, as they are resilient to any danger.\u00a0 <\/span>However, the impact of new normal has caused a breakdown in society and turned the country into anarchy. It is obvious from the continuous strikes, unrest and agitations fast spreading in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n

What has become the new normal?<\/b><\/p>\n

Dysfunctional failed state of Sri Lanka is new normal? I am talking here the view of the general public, many Sri Lankans who live abroad and in Sri Lanka. Some say Sri Lanka is suffering from \u201cBall pass\u201d syndrome\u2019 (Ajith Colonne on 21Jun19 Talk with Chatura). T<\/b>he public has accepted this as our \u201cNew Normal\u201d what is obviously abnormal; today in Sri Lanka is \u201cNEW NORMAL\u201d. Don\u2019t forget that we all must share whether it is functional or dysfunctional and we must start helping the country to raise its head above the water.\u00a0 <\/span>We cannot be complacent and continue finger pointing. Wishfully, the silent majority of Sri Lanka will decide the fate or the course of Sri Lanka\u2019s journey! The silent majority decided the Federal election win in Australia on May 18th this year.\u00a0 <\/span>It is the people\u2019s will at the end that set the bar.<\/p>\n