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The world has been around for quite a while, and given the state of things, it is no surprise that some people think it is about time for it to end.
What may be surprising to many, however, is that according to a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 28.9% of people believe that the world will end in their lifetime.
There have always been people who believed they were living in the end times. So far, all of them have been wrong.
For the vast majority of human history, people believed that the world would end in their lifetime almost always thought that because of some type of religious belief. The idea that God will come back or end the world is a belief in many religions, so this makes sense.
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When humans developed atomic bombs, however, a growing number of people started holding the belief that the end is near for purely secular reasons. This has only become more popular thanks to issues with climate change and other potential disasters that have nothing to do with religion.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of British Columbia. They surveyed 3400 people, asking them a variety of questions about their belief in the world ending, and what they think may cause it. In a statement about the study, Dr. Matthew I. Billet, who was the lead author, said:
“Belief in the end of the world is surprisingly common across North America, and it’s significantly influencing how people interpret and respond to the most pressing threats facing humanity.”
In addition to asking about the end of the world, the survey asked people what they would be willing to do about it. This is an important question since so many people think the world will, or at least might, end in their lifetime due to manmade issues.
Interestingly, the study also looked at various demographic factors to see what contributed to the belief that the end of the world is near. The paper states:
“Other demographic variables were less consistent predictors of end of world beliefs. Socioeconomic status and political orientation each explained less than 6% of variance, and ethnicity and gender each explained less than 2%.”
Whether someone believes that the world will end due to God or due to human activity is important. Billet talks about this, saying:
“Everyone agrees on one thing: We humans play an important role in the fate of our species. This was as true for the religious as it was for the non-religious. However, there were also differences between religious denominations that were quite stark. These differences point to how religion –and culture more broadly – can shape how we fundamentally view the world and our collective future.”
One worry that this type of study brings up is that when people think that the world is likely to end in their lifetime, there may be little motivation to change or improve things that are done.
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Why take steps to protect the environment, for example, if the world will be over in the near future anyway? Likewise, why engage in things like space exploration, scientific study, or other activities that provide humanity with many long-term benefits?
While it is true that the world may end within our lifetime, it is best to live as if it won’t and do all that we can to make sure the world is the best place that it can be, whether that is for us or not.