This week I was reminded yet again about the extent to which personal investment – and that includes emotional reflexes and ideology as much as more obvious material interests – narrowly determine the way people interpret what is going on around them in the world. Also, how much it influences most of the important decisions they make, even when the downsides seem so glaringly obvious. And all this despite our current epoch supposedly being defined by scientific rationalism; a time in which evidence is meant to be considered the central and determining tenet. Still those more subjective influences seem very often to hold far greater sway in how and what we decide to do.

This time of the year heralds the start of the fireworks season, beginning with Diwali (the Hindi Festival of Light), passing through Guy Fawkes Night (now more commonly labeled ‘Bonfire Night’ in its place of origin, the UK), and then on to Christmas and, of course, New Years Eve.

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