This is the great paradox of the modern, atomised society and its tendency to distract people to such an incredible extent that concern for the more authentic self is lost amid a vast feeding frenzy of shopaholicism. Whilst allowing the banks and corporations to speak (and act) in their name, the Western masses have forgotten to declare their own state of emergency. Whether you are waiting for the green man to appear at the pedestrian crossing, meekly accepting the colour-coded terror levels handed out by the authorities, observing the imposition of ‘lockdown’ or washing your hands for precisely twenty seconds – as instructed – you merely act in accordance with an underlying state of emergency that happens to be permanent. We must never forget that when a government openly declares a scenario of this kind it is not a sign that things have suddenly worsened, only that constitutional procedures are being suspended in order for the Establishment to regain or consolidate its power.

Do you really think that allowing others to educate your children, produce your food or control the means of production is ‘normal’? Does returning to the concrete streets and polluted motorways seem ‘normal’ to you? Is that what being ‘human’ is really all about? Returning to what I said about the widespread failure to develop a more genuine and coherent sense of selfishness, one which perceives the danger to one’s own person, you would think that each and every one of us would have declared a private state of emergency some time ago and that by working with others who find themselves in a similar position – and there are plenty of us – we can begin to regain personal control in the way that the governments wish to regain control over us. Stop waiting to be told that everything is ‘normal’ again and learn to identify the deeper crisis that begins with you.