When a deeply rooted belief or hope of ours is shattered, when what I believe myself to be is no longer validated by others, when an excellent professional doesn’t get a raise, when available resources are used for the wrong goals at the wrong time, all of this can trigger crises. Whether it is in the financial, political, professional, or personal sphere, a crisis is not just “when everything starts going wrong.” Everything starts going wrong as the result of a chain of events that can be noticed, analyzed, and, above all, changed. In the Portuguese dictionary, crise is cri-se | s.f. (noun, feminine), from Latin crisis, Greek krísis: act of separating, decision, judgment, event, decisive moment ● ● ● ●
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A sudden change in a patient’s condition, caused by the struggle between the harmful agent and the defense mechanisms. A period when a disease manifests acutely: an acute episode of appendicitis. A violent, sudden, and brief manifestation of a fit: an epileptic seizure. A troubled socioeconomic situation, an imbalance between production and consumer goods, usually marked by rising prices, excessive unemployment, and bankruptcies: an economic crisis. [Figurative] A dangerous or difficult moment; a period of disorder. [Figurative] A situation of conflict; tension: a family crisis. [Figurative] An expression of absence or shortage: a labor crisis. Where there is decline; a fall: a crisis of morality.
Health-related crises happen when an illness reaches a more serious stage or when we lose control of our emotions. Age-related crises happen when the expectations we had for a certain age are overtaken by a reality we consider worse, as in the well-known crisis of turning 30. Social crises happen when a social structure is shaken, creating uncertainty. Economic crises result from negative economic indicators, such as unemployment and rising poverty. Political crises are those that threaten the continuity of those in power and political stability. What they have in common is disorder, tension, turmoil, decline, instability, disagreement. The lack of agreement amid chaos also leads to common reactions: splitting into groups with opposing opinions, enmity, polarization. This can be clearly seen in Brazil’s current situation, a situation that could be brought under control with more respect and use of reason. How do you deal with crisis situations?
In any of these cases, our first reaction is to look for the quickest way out. To run for the emergency exit, to take the first action that comes to mind. Another common reaction is paralysis. Disoriented by the change, the path still needs to be traveled, and our sense of direction shuts down.
And the domino effect of the crisis continues: one area knocks down another, one belief, one hope. The higher the expectations, the more fertile the ground for a crisis to be born and grow. The key is to replace expectations with rational, joint, plural actions. In this process, where more negative than positive forces are at play, we speed up, become obsessive, and run over whoever and whatever is in our way. We turn friends into enemies, we shout, we flail. When the best reaction we can have is to stop, breathe, analyze the scenario, find the problems, and test solutions. Together, calmly, with tact, with empathy.
Complaining, fighting, running away, blaming, justifying, freezing, or denying won’t help at all. What helps is cultivating a healthy network of close relationships, seeking stability, wisdom, and respect, and tackling the problem specifically, with attention, clarity, and all efforts focused on the same goal. Building networks of real connections and communicating well with people is the best way to overcome difficulties.
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