The Prognosis and Its Pants

That quote comes from that world-famous quote manufacturer called "Unknown.» 
From her — or him — there are millions of sometimes pithy and often tedious or utterly pointless textual eruptions.

But back to this quote about prognoses and their pants.

The leading part of the word is genuinely likeable: "Pro" always sounds positive, because what follows is for and not against something. Though that's not a general rule, otherwise politicians and regular people would have a three-letter free pass. 
The positive quality of "Pro" lies in the agreement — in being for something, standing up for it, fighting for it.

When, how and where did gnosis enter the picture? 
Well, would you look at that — the Greeks are once again involved in a specific concept. The Latins don't get a look-in here. 
The "gnosis" part points toward "knowledge" or "recognition" of a particular thing. 
Originally, the idea behind gnosis was about future knowledge — understanding how events would unfold. 
In the absence of coffee grounds and crystal balls, the word itself was introduced as an incentive.

"The prognosis for the presidential election shows that..."
And the flip chart reveals the calculated, assumed, diagnosed indicators of a development — in naked numbers or words. 
Hold on — are words also naked when they just stand around like numbers with nowhere to go? Never mind.

The prognosis, as an active part of describing future developments, is a somewhat delicate instrument. 
It places great importance on specific real-world examples. When a defined timeframe and a particular moment are meant to serve as a prognosis, these are essentially time-based predictions — and usually without any guarantee. The weather forecast and the economic outlook could both sing you that song.

One variant of the prognosis is more active in nature, because it presumes to know how a specific event will occur. 
Or won't. This method is used for election results and for the outbreak of diseases.

Wait — there's yet another variant of forecasting at play here. This is where mathematicians and statisticians perk up. 
Because this one is about the condition of a system or situation and where it will find itself in the future. 
Anyone brave enough to factor in stock prices or population trends is tending to the state of tomorrow and the day after.
Good luck with that.

Despite this rather uncertain and mostly consequence-free application of prognoses in practice, I'm going to venture a few observations — a blend of hope and prognosis — about some current events.

In common parlance and elsewhere, this is known as reading the signs of the times.

The daily dose of news and events is frightening and frustrating for most of us Homo sapiens. 
It's not a pretty sight when the only living space available to all of us is being dismantled piece by piece — children sexually abused, protesters shot, and wars deliberately ignited.

So much for the abnormality of daily life.

But when a drop doesn't just fall on a hot stone, but causes a barrel to overflow — then something shifts.
Something positive.

The weight of evidence and events on this particular Saturday morning is already substantial enough to allow for a good mood and a measured dose of hope.

In the EU, the demand "My Voice. My Choice." has been adopted. Women and their bodies can finally breathe.

In Iran, students have joined the revolution. The momentum is unmistakable, even though the revolution ends fatally for thousands of protesters. Yet freedom for Persians is taking on ever clearer shape.

In the United States, special elections are showing that democratically progressive candidates don't just have a slim chance — they're regularly posting double-digit leads. Zohran Mamdani, New York City's new mayor and a progressive democratic Muslim, has — according to recent polling after just two months in office — already earned some of the strongest approval ratings the city has seen in years. Not bad for someone the pundits didn't see coming.

China remains one of the world's largest CO₂ emitters. And yet China is currently demonstrating what climate protection can actually look like. The country has managed to cover an increase in energy demand roughly equivalent to the entire consumption of Germany — entirely through renewable energy.

So, how does all of this read through the lens of prognostic analysis — grounded in existing facts and indicators? 

Does the world suddenly look positive again?
No. 
But somewhat more positive and more promising than it has in a while.

I'm Pro. And I'm rather fond of gnosis.
Now and for the future.