If you’ve been a staunch supporter of progress until now, that’s perfectly fine, but now we all know a bit better.
Unlike graphs, Life doesn’t usually unfolds in a net linear exponential way, and the equations that govern it is far more intricate than the relationship between two axes.
We’ve achieved some of the most ambitious aspirations we had for the 21st century, even surpassed many of them. The way technology, telecommunications, and the ever-evolving internet have shaped our existence is truly remarkable, worthy of our deepest wonder and awe.
We’ve opened Pandora’s box, unveiling the realms of AI, web 3, nanotechnology, quantum computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G technologies, biotechnologies, 3D printing, and autonomous vehicles.
The trajectories for technological advancement are nearly boundless, perhaps even infinite.
Collapse, world crisis, climate change, pandemics, are some of the “Big Pauses” and falls that life imposes in its flow.
In a sense, these problems we face are the stern consequences of our pursuit of progress, and of how we’ve envisioned it, but our vision of progress can change and trace different directions !
So, what visions should be shaping our forthcoming accelerated future? Is it more production ?Can we still us GPD as an universal measurement ? Should we continue reducing costs and externalizing them?
But more importantly, who should be the architects of these dreams? who is meant to bring our best version of the future alive? Governments and organizations? global superpowers?
I think, that the task at hand is falling upon individuals — upon you and me. It’s up to each one of us to sit down and confront what lies ahead, unburden it from preconceptions, to explore the uncharted territories without and within our minds.
It is us, individuals, working collectively, that must begin asking and answering: What’s next? What future do we truly desire? What blend of simplicity, technology, new values and generosity does our world need in order to flourish?
The path for a new future, a more realistic one, less blinded by the solely idea of progress is a path within and without, towards our inner selves and towards our commitment to the work that needs to be done in the world.
The world is us.
