Why the need for security is human. But also mistakes...

Absurdly, it is the feeling of security, of all things, that paralyses us and prevents us from taking a step further. Although we are obviously unwell and dissatisfied with our own situation, we prefer to wallow in "avoidable" security than to finally leave the vicious circle in which we find ourselves. I speak deliberately of "avoidable" security, because honestly, what is secure these days? At the latest after the pandemic and the outbreak of war, even the most ignorant people among us should have realised that nothing in life is safe and that every single one of us can become a victim of war, disease or persecution just like those who are harshly condemned by so many in our society for not adapting to anything. And yet we, those who think we are safe, are the worst. We think we are on the safe side with our office job and previous education. We are afraid of losing control, completely ignoring the fact that we never had it. There is inflation and many Germans are confronted with the term "short-time work" for the first time in their lives, or with the fact that the monthly salary does not arrive in the account with 100 percent certainty. Or, suddenly, it is no longer enough to cover all costs. We Germans dutifully pay our rent. We have no property. Who is supposed to pay for that these days? But this way we have no security either. I find the Germans arrogant and above all ignorant. The only thing that keeps Germany going is its good reputation, which in turn is based on the ignorance of the rest of the world. If you tell a foreigner about the state of our internet, tell them that there are offices that can only be reached by fax, or that compulsory vaccination is said to have seriously failed due to a lack of paper, they are usually stunned because absolutely none of this corresponds to the image that the rest of the world has of us. And it doesn't match the image we have of ourselves either. In my opinion, it is time to rethink this, because otherwise we will sooner or later lose touch, if it is not already too late. And it is precisely this avoidable arrogance that many of us confuse with security. But nothing is certain. Just think about it. Not even the next 24 hours are certain. You have made plans? How many times has it happened to you that you have thrown all your plans out the window because you received a cancellation, got sick, your time management didn't work out or something else came up? Only death is certain, as my father used to say. So why don't we finally stop settling for something for fear of change and for fear of losing this security that basically doesn't exist? The only thing that is lost in this way are countless opportunities. I would like to tell you an example from my life. When I was 16, I did a year abroad in Spain and afterwards it was clear to me that I would not want to live in Germany again. However, it was 2008 of all times, the time of the crisis. The economic situation in Spain contrasted with that in Germany and so the decision was easy. I returned, did my A-levels, studied, but always with the plan to return one day in mind. And my life went well. I got many opportunities, took them and ended up where I had once dreamed of. But suddenly I noticed how I was becoming more and more dissatisfied. The voices that used to claim that the path I chose could not lead to my goal became quieter and quieter, and so did the irrepressible urge in me to prove them wrong. I was proud of what I had achieved. But it was not what made me happy. I had a job that others in my line of work would kill for and yes, I also had the avoidable security. But there was also this dream of Spain. And suddenly I was 30 and I knew that if I didn't do it now, I never would. I thought about what I had to lose and decided. Nothing. If I failed, then I could go back and be one experience richer. But I don't plan to fail. I plan to be happy. And I tell you honestly, I would be lying if I said that there were no setbacks and that I wasn't afraid sometimes. But one thing I have never done is to doubt this decision. I took this chance and grew with it and it has brought me a bit further in my personal development and that's all I want. I don't want to be one of those grim old people who grumpily shout, "But we've always done it that way". I want to face the world with an open mind and learn to become a better version of myself year after year.