Europe is in the midst of an unprecedented drought. “Spanish farmers are grappling with heat waves and water scarcity. Grains and olives are going dry” (Deutsche Welle, August 10, 2022). Many farmers are facing drastic harvest losses this year as reservoirs dry up.

In 1951, a psychologist by the name of Solomon Asch conducted a rather unnerving experiment. He had a group of eight people look at four drawn lines—three “comparison” lines and one “target” line. Each member of the group had to say, out loud, which of the comparison lines they thought matched the target one in length, and this was repeated with eighteen sets of lines. It wasn’t hard; the right answers were intended to be completely obvious.

For centuries, historians have studied why empires, nations, or societies collapsed. Various reasons are proposed, just as there are reasons for the collapse of a building or other structure. But, the destruction of the foundation is the central reason.

One rainy, windy day when I was a child, we drove past a drive-in theater just as a strong gust of wind toppled the big wooden screen. The screen’s support pillars had decayed, no longer able to withstand the wind. I watched the collapse in amazement, and I had an exciting story to tell my friends the next day.

Most of us have answered questions on various forms requiring our name and address and other personal information. Some multi-page legal documents require our signature “here,” “here,” and “here”! Our name is part of our identity.

Many people know the value of good counsel. Businesses hire consulting firms with good credentials and reputations to advise them in many areas, including financial, technical, and legal matters. Without that wise counsel, their businesses could suffer significant losses or even failure. National leaders should also seek sound counsel for the good of their nations.