Li's thoughts on change in real estate cycles

April 22, 2008.

Change is the only constant, as both Heraclitus & Thales, philosopers in Ancient Greece,
promised us.

It's human to prefer the status quo, I suppose...at least we "understand" the boundaries
that custom creates in our lives.

Change involves chaos, that antidote to the established form, and chaos brings with it
upheaval of what we're used to.

It can be very exciting and liberating, but also very frightening.

Right now, the subprime issues and resulting credit crunch have unleashed huge insecurity
throughout the world. Banks, those repositories of tradition, were involved in the
subprime mortgage fiasco, and suddenly are seen to be merely human organizations, and
therefore ripe for problems.    

Governments seem unable to stem any tide, whether positive or negative.

Regionalism continues globally, and at the same time, there's a movement for more control,
in countries.   

Perhaps it's a seeking for the stability that seemed the "norm", in the past decades.    

The response to global warming shows the dichotomy -- yes, people want to change to save
the world, but change requires a reshaping of socities, and everything gets bogged down to
"good will" responses, with very little credible movement towards the kind of change
required.

It's very sweet, in one way, that humans actually think they can affect Nature.
Archeologists might point out that shorelines have been higher and lower, in antiquity, so
it might be realized that Nature itself has an agenda that humankind merely falters under.    

Nature is totally itself, apart, impassive, and there is no notice taken of people and
their communities. Think of the tsunami that hit the coastline and killed natives and
tourists alike, indiscriminately. A huge wave caused by an earthquake below the ocean, &,
in spite of all our technology, there was no warning.   

"Some day" there will be an earthquake on the Pacific Coast. Everyone knows this, yet
there is this "oh, well...yes..." continuation of life at the edge of the sea, and few
take precautions by outfitting their homes and cars with an "emergency kit".

Maybe it's the human condition to be "blinkered", to only see the immediate? What about
Pompeii? Gone in an instant! No one in control of Nature, then.

Mmmmm....

Perhaps it's a good idea to watch the stars, on those clear evenings, and to try to
inculcate a desire for a "broader view", beyond our tiny skins?

Your thoughts?