If you live in an earthquake zone, small earthquakes are your friends. If you live in a healthy society and healthy economy, various crises are your friends.

Living in an earthquake zone you appreciate earthquakes. As long as they are small. And as long as you feel them regularly. This is because they come from the earth as it makes adjustments.

When you feel no small earthquakes you grow fearful. Because the calmness signals that pressure is building. The earth is not making small adjustments. And so the pressure that builds will eventually force a big adjustment, a major and damaging earthquake.

Societies and economies work the same way. Various crises are like small earthquakes. They are the signs that the society and the economy are adjusting. If they do not suffer a lot of crises they are not adjusting. And so pressures build. And so they eventually suffer the equivalent of a big quake. Perhaps a revolution. Or a coup. Or a collapse.

Notice any crises lately? Maybe in Europe? Maybe in our banking system? Maybe with our national debt? Maybe in our economy? Maybe in our housing and mortgage areas? A new crisis rolls into town every other week. It’s as if an army of soap opera writers creates them.

They hurt, these crises. But they are good for us. Because they relieve pressure. They are the signs that we are adjusting. Without such crises we will fail to adjust. And something massive and possibly violent will follow.