Globalisation has obliterated distance, not just physically but

Hear, O heirs of the new age, the solemn warning of Martin Jacques, who proclaimed: “Globalisation has obliterated distance, not just physically but also, most dangerously, mentally. It creates the illusion of intimacy when, in fact, the mental distances have changed little. It has concertinaed the world without engendering the necessary respect, recognition and tolerance that must accompany it.” These words, like fire cast into the darkness, reveal both the triumph and the peril of our time. For though the seas have been bridged by machines and the skies pierced by technology, the hearts of men remain stubborn, slow to change, clinging still to division, suspicion, and pride.

The origin of this saying is rooted in the rapid rise of the modern global order. Nations once separated by oceans now speak in moments through glowing screens. Markets stretch across the earth like rivers that heed no boundary. Cultures collide, mingle, and display themselves to one another without pause. And yet, Jacques reminds us, this closeness is often a mask. It is a mental illusion—we believe ourselves connected because distance has shrunk, but the true chasms of understanding, respect, and empathy remain wide as ever.

Consider the example of the colonial encounters of centuries past. European empires sailed across seas and proclaimed their discoveries, but though they stood upon the soil of other peoples, they did not see them as equals. The physical distance was conquered, but the mental distance—the failure to recognize dignity and difference—remained vast. The result was exploitation, domination, and sorrow. So too, in our present day, nations and peoples may speak daily through commerce and technology, but without tolerance and recognition, what blossoms is not harmony, but conflict dressed in modern form.

History offers another testimony. When the Silk Road joined East and West, it did not merely exchange goods of silk and spice, but also ideas, philosophies, and respect. Cultures flourished where trade was accompanied by curiosity and reverence, but where contact became conquest, violence followed. This is the heart of Jacques’ wisdom: globalisation without respect is like a bridge built without foundations. It may span the waters for a time, but it cannot bear the weight of truth, and soon it will collapse.

The danger of the illusion of intimacy is that it deceives us. A man may speak to another across oceans, see his face, hear his words, and believe that he knows him. Yet to know a person, or a people, requires humility, listening, and recognition of difference. Without these, intimacy is a mirage, and misunderstanding festers beneath the surface. Thus, the world may feel smaller, but the soul of humanity may remain as divided as ever.

The lesson is plain: if we would live in a truly concertinaed world, where distances are not only shortened but overcome, we must cultivate respect as fiercely as we cultivate technology. We must sow recognition of other traditions, beliefs, and identities, not as curiosities to be consumed, but as truths to be honored. And we must water the soil of tolerance, knowing that difference is not a threat to unity but the very fabric of it.

Therefore, O listeners, let your actions be these: when you reach across borders, whether with your words, your commerce, or your friendships, do so not with arrogance, but with humility. Learn before you judge; listen before you speak; honor before you critique. Globalisation has brought the world into your hand, but only your heart can make that closeness real.

Thus let Jacques’ words endure: “Globalisation has obliterated distance… without engendering respect, recognition and tolerance.” They are not only a warning, but a summons. For the future of our world will not be decided by the shrinking of space, but by the widening of spirit. And those who learn this truth will be the builders of a new harmony among nations, peoples, and souls.