2022 Annual Review

There is an arrogance in our contemporary predictions. Historian, Yuval Noah Harari, has suggested we need to ‘… tone down the prophecies of doom, and switch from panic mode to bewilderment. Panic is a form of hubris. It comes from the smug feeling that I know exactly where the world is heading—(and it’s) down’. Bewilderment is more humble, he says ‘and therefore more clear-sighted’ (Harari, 2018). We are seeking to create our new interpretations, new narratives to understand what is happening in the world, and ‘what is the deep meaning of events?’ But is it all bad? When did we ever have certainty? Our views, our outlook How we, personally, view the world, our outlook, is subjective, our own. And our views do, of course, hopefully change—perspective is ever deepened, ever evolving, although algorithms can, increasingly, reinforce them, keep them shallow. Our collective outlook Our society too, sometimes without realising it, understanding the origins of it—fully—develops a collective view, a shared perspective and that can shape us very powerfully too.

How we talk about our society, our future—these views are powerful. They shape our experiences, our interpretations and how we respond to our world, to one another. There is a current smallness to the narrative: we are constantly digesting the banal, daily sensationalist news feed and everything seems so operational, procedural, fearful. Where is the understanding of that great sweeping arc of history? Where are the stories of grand vision and bold action? Of progress, daring and hope? The hope Fortunately for us, Girls Grammar provides a tangible picture of hope. We are a School that through what and how we teach, and in who we are—our culture—discourages cheap cynicism. We encourage our students to see the good in others—to call them to account when they err certainly—but to remember, always, the importance of forgiveness, cutting people some slack and compassion.

Brisbane Girls Grammar School Annual Review 2022

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