At the recently concluded World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, United States President, Donald Trump referred to some people as ‘prophets of doom.’

Do prophets of doom have any value? What is the verdict of history? The stories of Jeremiah, Julius Caesar’s Soothsayer, and loads of others show that prophets of doom have value primarily because they offer the following:

• The benefit of a counter-perspective
• The opportunity for new insights
• Further enrichment by new insights
• Leading to enriched and enhanced decision making
• Avoidance of pitfalls