Enough of the 'New Normal' -- What About Old Values?

The following commentary comes from an independent investor or market observer as part of TheStreet's guest contributor program, which is separate from the company's news coverage.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Enough already with every crisis of the quarter, shift of the market and global upset being called the "new normal."

Who started that phrase anyway?

The term, "new normal" has been attributed to technology investor, Roger McNamee, at a January, 2002 Fast Company magazine event. At the time he described the "new normal" as a time of solid opportunity to focus on great ideas and great execution in the midst of a changing globally competitive landscape.

As with most business phrases in our society, they soon tire from over usage. Such is the term "new normal." While fitting to describe any period of drastic change, this observer fears it is a very scary place because it can change too many rules of acceptable behavior, decency, accountability and reverence.

The "new normal." Is it "new?" Sure in the sense of different threats and opportunities and/or increased degrees of threats and opportunities.

Is it normal? Yes and no.

Yes, change is normal. No, because it creates disruption, confusion, complexity that threatens traditional thinking and behavior and tempts anarchy against traditional values.

There has always been a "new normal." It came with the advent of new lifestyle alternatives, public policies, economic shifts, war and civil unrest, technological innovation, socio-psycho-demographic changes, etc.

From my Boomer generation, the end of the Vietnam War, returning troops and all that came with it was a "new normal."

The assassinations of John and Bobby Kennedy, and Martin Luther King and the violence and changes of the civil rights movement ushered in a "new normal."

The rise of unions in corporate America brought in a "new normal."

The transitions in management theory and style continue to usher in "new normals" in business.

Dysfunctional and/or absence of parenting, prescription drugging of children, and violence exploited as entertainment brought on a phenomena of children killing children and suicides which in turn gave us a "new normal" of metal detectors and law enforcements in schools.

So-called sex education curricula, presidential misconduct coverage, sexploitation in the media, and severely inappropriate dealings with child pedophilia and Internet pornography and chat rooms has brought about a "new normal" which continues to lower the age at which a child is still innocent.

1 2 3 Next › Last »