Anxiety is a common phenomenon experienced by individuals across all demographics, including age, occupation, and socio-economic status. While its manifestations may vary, anxiety exerts a universal influence. Beyond generating confusion and insecurity, it can also lead to internal conflict, distrust, intolerance, and, in severe cases, overt hostility.
When discussing sensitive topics such as identity, mixed-race children, or gender, the underlying issue is frequently a lack of attention to our shared humanity. If empathy is replaced by fear or inflexible perspectives, communities struggle to appreciate differences and maintain respectful coexistence.
Our relationship with money follows a familiar pattern: when we don’t have enough, we worry about making ends meet, but even having plenty can lead to new forms of stress, insecurity, and a never-ending urge for more. Earning a six-figure salary or owning investments worth millions doesn’t necessarily guarantee peace of mind.
This isn't something new to our era—human beings have always encountered challenges and uncertainty. The difference lies in how people and communities react. Some let anxiety hold them back, while others see it as a chance to grow: to think more clearly, act with compassion, and move forward with purpose and balance. Progress doesn't come from ignoring anxiety; it comes from understanding it, responding with humanity, and embracing empathy instead of fear.
Anxiety in human nature links to both positive traits, such as vision, hard work, concentration, self-respect, mutual respect, trust, family love, faith, and diligence, and negative traits, including carelessness, irresponsibility, arrogance, dissatisfaction, self-centredness, hate, envy, and jealousy.
Increasing youth anxiety
Recent discussions about stress and anxiety among children have highlighted growing concerns. An article I read focused on school-related stress, noting that anxiety - a natural response to stress - can have both positive and negative impacts. While mild anxiety can be helpful by alerting us to dangers or improving focus, chronic or intense anxiety, as experienced in anxiety disorders, can disrupt daily life and overall well-being.
The article reported that half of secondary students avoided attending school due to anxiety in the past year, with teenagers missing an average of 22 days during the school year. Additionally, it found that girls are 1.6 times more likely than boys to miss school because of anxiety.
School can often seem overwhelming, unsafe, and tiring for students, sometimes causing them to avoid it altogether. Many worry about their appearance, feel judged by others, fear making mistakes or falling behind, and stress over forgetting instructions, missing homework, or being reprimanded.
Reflecting on our childhood, it's clear how much things have changed compared to today. We grew up with very few conveniences: basic schools, limited educational resources, barely any toys, and certainly no internet or mobile phones. Parents would often tell teachers they could discipline us if we didn't study properly. While that may seem harsh now, our childhoods were mostly carefree and content. We found happiness in simple things - a stone could become a toy or inspire endless games. The glow of a lantern brought hand shadows to life as our form of television. Life was uncomplicated but filled with creativity, friendship, and resilience. Being scolded or even physically punished by teachers didn't break our spirit; instead, it seemed to help us cope with pressure and setbacks later on. Today, life looks very different.
Reports of young people experiencing anxiety attacks, depression, and even heart issues at a young age are becoming increasingly common. It often seems as though today’s children are more sensitive and less resilient when facing setbacks or disappointment. Stress tolerance has declined, yet expectations have grown. Alarmingly, there has been a rise in suicidal incidents among children and adolescents - a trend that should concern us all. This situation prompts tough questions about the pressures we impose on younger generations, the environments we shape for them, and whether trading emotional endurance for material comfort is wise. The lesson from past hardships may not be hardship itself, but rather balance - learning to accept contentment, handle failure and recover, and appreciate simple joys. These values are worth revisiting to support the well-being of future generations.
Today’s complex social and emotional landscape
Another significant trend reflecting current social dynamics is the notable increase in legal gender change applications. According to government data, 1,987 applications for Gender Recognition Certificates were submitted in the year ending September. Of these, 730 applications were made between April and June alone, representing the highest quarterly figure since records began in 2009. This upward trajectory underscores the growing prominence of identity, legal frameworks, and personal recognition in contemporary society, further illustrating the complex social and emotional landscape of the present day.
It’s important to remember that looking after our health is ultimately a personal responsibility. The NHS cannot do it all for us. While it’s understandable to be upset by delays or problems with healthcare services and to voice concerns about what the NHS delivers, we cannot expect it to take on all the responsibility. Our food choices, eating habits, activity levels, lifestyle decisions, and mindset have a major impact on both physical and mental health. A healthier society depends on each person taking responsibility for their wellbeing alongside having an effective healthcare system.
Asset disputes
Family conflicts over property and inheritance are increasingly frequent, often exposing complex human dynamics. Recent court cases where assets are unevenly divided show how mistrust can split families and prompt societal reflection.
Family life today is far more complex than it was a generation ago. Many Indians who came to the UK in the 1960s and 1970s arrived with very little and bought modest homes for a few thousand pounds. Through hard work and sacrifice, they built secure lives. Today, those same properties are often worth £500,000 or more, and nearly 83 per cent of Indians in the UK live in owner-occupied homes, a remarkable achievement.
While abundance can eliminate some worries, it introduces new challenges. Scarcity often leads to anxiety, but increasing wealth may result in even more complex tensions. As assets appreciate, issues concerning fairness, authority, and inheritance become prominent. This underscores the importance of having wills and lasting powers of attorney. Yet, legal arrangements alone are insufficient—what truly unites families is trust, transparency, and shared confidence.
Own up to your own mistakes
Why do families fight? Life rarely goes smoothly, misunderstandings, disagreements, and hurt feelings are part of the journey. Everyone slips up now and then; what truly matters is learning to accept mistakes, own up to them, and keep promises.
Before judging families in court, it's important to consider the long-term roots of their conflicts. Imperfections are common in both family and business, and one person's issues shouldn't define the whole group. Greater patience and understanding can help ease conflict, while mistrust and rigid thinking often deepen family rifts. Rejecting someone with problems, like addiction, can harm everyone involved.
Few individuals can claim a life entirely free of significant errors. Holding others to standards of perfection is neither realistic nor equitable. Such expectations often contribute to increased anxiety, conflict, and disappointment.
As our community ages and prospers, we need open discussions and careful planning—legal, emotional, and ethical. This helps families safeguard their assets, relationships, dignity, and peace of mind.
Anxiety can show up in various ways
When we consider the world as a whole, anxiety manifests differently shaped by diplomacy, power struggles, and warfare. Conflicts are present almost everywhere today. In their pursuit of dominance, nations often end up harming each other. Sometimes, rash or authoritarian leaders drive these wars, dragging their countries into conflict to satisfy personal ambitions, ideologies, or dictatorial goals. Tragically, it is innocent people who suffer most, and entire nations see their futures destroyed. This leads us to question: What is truly achieved by killing civilians and jeopardising generations yet unborn?
Historical events provide valuable insights. The Second World War (1939–1945) stands as the most extensive and deadly conflict in recorded history, involving around 70 nations across multiple continents and oceans. It is estimated that between 70 and 80 million individuals perished, including more than 50 million civilians. Numerous European cities, such as Warsaw, Berlin, Dresden, and London, suffered significant destruction, while Japan’s military actions in East Asia resulted in considerable hardship. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki claimed over 200,000 lives, heralding the onset of the nuclear era.
Recovery and transformation of nations
The devastation extended beyond lost lives, as infrastructure, homes, and industries were destroyed, creating millions of refugees and causing economic collapse. The Marshall Plan aided Europe’s recovery, transforming countries like Germany and Japan into democratic allies. Leaders such as Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin united to defeat fascism and established lasting alliances. The post-war period saw the founding of the United Nations, World Bank, and IMF, and accelerated decolonisation with nearly 70 countries gaining independence.
India is a remarkable example of transformation. After centuries under colonial rule, it has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies, with strong growth across technology, digital services, space research and more. The country now plays an important role both economically and culturally on the global stage.
The Indian diaspora numbers about 35 million globally, with the largest communities in the United States (5.4 million) and the UK (1.8 million). Indians abroad have significantly impacted business, science, technology, and education in their host countries.
Leadership, authority, and accountability - inherently interconnected
Several key insights warrant consideration. Leadership, power and responsibility have always gone hand in hand in shaping the global order. President Harry S. Truman once captured this balance concisely when he said, “Speak softly and carry a big stick,” a reminder that strength is most effective when combined with restraint. A few years later, at his inauguration in 1961, President John F. Kennedy delivered words that still resonate across generations: “Let every nation know… that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”
For nearly eight decades, the United States acted as a “Jagat Jamadar”, a global caretaker, maintaining order and protecting weaker nations, while also strengthening its own economy and influence.
In recent years, leadership that prioritises short-term objectives or transactional approaches, as exemplified by President Donald Trump, has been observed to potentially exacerbate societal divisions and undermine global stability.
No power is forever
Ultimately, no leader remains in power forever, including Trump. While some of his actions raise concerns, particularly regarding India-Pakistan relations and military dealings, it's important to acknowledge that he operates as a businessman rather than a visionary. His approach lacks the long-term perspective seen in leaders like Truman, Roosevelt, or Sardar Patel.
In today's interconnected world, challenges are intricate and can't be resolved with simple slogans or quick solutions. History teaches us that change is ongoing. Whether within families or entire nations, trust, responsibility, humility, and a focus on the long term are fundamental. In society, particularly among the Indian community in the UK, there will be a rise in mixed-race families and children - an expected development that should be welcomed. By valuing diversity, we strengthen our families and communities for generations to come.
Ultimately, whether at home or leading globally, the same core values apply. Responsibility, fairness, trust, and compassion for those in need form the foundation of enduring strength and stability.
