The Time of “Us & Me”, Not “You & We”?
Correlation of Social Trends & Stock Market Booms & Busts
The above statement refers to a broad change in behavior that has begun to kick in with increasing force since the stock market top in 2007, and also from the previous top in 1999.
The implications of this are overwhelming! Just look at the events of the last two years.
Economists, businesses, the media and just about everybody appear surprised and shocked by the evolving change in society’s character. “CHANGE” – that’s been the big buzz word of 2009, but all this change need not be such a shock with a little perspective…
It is no coincidence that when the economy suffers people’s behavior, overall mood and outlook changes, sometimes very drastically.
The ‘You & Me’ & ‘Us & We’ Pendulum
‘You & We’
During a boom people have a happier inclusionary outlook. People care more for others (You) and want to include and work with other groups of people (We) = ‘You & We’.
‘Us & Me’
During and after the bust an exclusionary (Us) and self survival outlook (Me) becomes the prevalent mood = ‘Us & Me’. The combination of a fear of survival and an exclusionary outlook typically results in the emergence of perceived enemies and opposition.
A Look Through History…
The above greatly simplifies the overall change in mood and outlook of a population through boom and bust periods. However, it should give you a sense as to how society’s mood swings from positive to negative, and how the events of the time shake with it. In fact the swings in mood correlate very well, in a slightly lagging fashion, with stock market trends.
If you look at the booms and busts of recent history you will see this theme play out…
Continue Reading…
- The Time of “Us & Me”, Not “You & We”?
- The Roaring Twenties, 1929 Stock Market Crash & Great Depression
- The Rise & Fall of the Klu Klux Klan
- The 60s Peace Movement & the Slump
- “You’re Either With Us or Against Us”
- EU Break Up & Racist Political Parties
- Predict Social & Cultrual Trends Using Stocks & the Economy