Radical Surrender

Radical Surrender

12 November 2026

For the past few days, I have been reading the newspaper and seeing so many developments and connections that it feels almost impossible to explain them in a blog. Until I came across the article The world feels dangerously out of control – here is why experts think ‘radical surrender’ is the answer.

Suddenly, I understood better what is happening and what we can do about it.

We live in a world full of crises. Wars, AI, climate change, politicians awarding themselves bonuses, a healthcare system in crisis, and young people committing murders, to name just a few examples.

According to psychiatrist Dr. Anna Lembke, we desperately try to maintain control in this world. But that very attempt leads to more anxiety, stress, and sometimes panic.

Her answer is radical surrender: accepting that we cannot understand, solve, or control everything.

According to Lembke, this involves four stages: crisis, defense, despair, and finally surrender. Only when we let go of our attempts to control everything do we create space for peace and change.

Radical surrender does not mean becoming passive or abandoning our responsibilities. Quite the opposite. It means stopping the endless doomscrolling and focusing on what we can actually influence.

Her advice is simple: do the next right thing. Learn to tolerate discomfort. Give others space. Reconnect with the real world and maintain a sense of wonder.

Perhaps that is exactly what we need in this chaotic world. Not another attempt to understand and control everything, but learning to let go.

Not trying to change the entire world, but starting with what is within our reach.

Miguel Goede