Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies

I ripped off the title.

My good friend, Marilyn McEntyre wrote a book in 2009 (soon to have its 2nd edition) titled, “Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies.”

The point I’d like to make in this blog is that we’re bombarded with words like crisis, crash, plummet rather than decline, all kinds of words that cause people to fear if not even panic and then are told not to panic.  You can’t have it both ways, yelling panic words at me and then telling me to calm down, relax, don’t panic.

So your assignment, if you choose to accept it, is to pay attention to headlines and news media for both panic type of words or phrases but also reasonable, calming words or phrases or perspectives.  Just pop them off to me as they pop up to you.  We’ll create a gallery of words, phrases and perspectives on both sides of this -

- the world is going to get worse, it’s coming to an end, the market will go to zero and we’ll all die, and 

- stay calm, this might not last as long as you think, globally 93% of people recover, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson we’re just released from the hospital, and stuff like that.

Do both tell the truth?  Maybe.  Are both helpful, edifying, hopeful?

Will we all die?

Yes, but maybe not this year.

Sincerely,
David Neunuebel CFP, ChFC, CLU, CIMA
Senior Vice President, Investments