by James Hickman
Schiff Sovereign
You wouldn’t be especially impressed by someone’s insight if they told you that the world today is full of turmoil. That’s obvious— from wars and cultural clashes to cost of living crises and a pervasive sense of negativity.
More impressive is that William Strauss and Neil Howe predicted that the 2020’s would be like this nearly three decades ago in their 1997 book, The Fourth Turning.
According to their theory, societies move through cycles approximately 80-100 years long, with each cycle divided into four distinct “turnings.” These phases mirror the seasons, with the Fourth Turning representing the harsh winter—a period of upheaval and transformation.
Strauss and Howe predicted that the next Fourth Turning would begin in the mid-2000s, ignited by a crisis that would set the stage for significant societal change.