People have been talking about 2012 for a long time, and much of the talk has focused on the expectation of an unusual fluidity this year. It is the end of an era in a Mayan calendar and a transition point in U.S. demographics. Some of the most persistent predictions for 2012 talk about shocking changes hitting coastal cities on every continent.
In historical terms, the world has been remarkably fluid and changeable for the past 21 years or so. One thing we have learned during this period is that people and institutions that put too much stock in planning eventually get left behind. We cannot avoid planning, but in times like these, we must also remember to plan to read and react. If the 2012 prophecies are true, or even if they are not, that consideration may be more true than ever this year.
