Hey, glad you decided to come back. Let's talk about where we're at. The word "unprecedented" just doesn't cut it when it comes to describing the magnitude of the changes happening right now, yet it's everyone's go-to word. It all began in 2019 with the COVID-19 pandemic. But let's not waste time talking about the origins or the probability of death; we need to focus on how this pandemic has impacted society and completely transformed our way of life.
It's not so much the pandemic that we will focus on throughout the journey, it's the technology that has been & continues to be rolled out behind the scenes. That's what I want us to focus on. I understand feeling a bit uncomfortable; in truth, we are facing the unknown. New technologies introduce new risks, not just in the sci-fi film kinda way (although, there is definitely the possibility), but in the weapons of mass destruction kind of way. Some transitions have been anticipated for the past 30-40 years, while others have emerged due to a reshaping of individuals' psychology and their understanding of society and their role within it.
When I have conversations with people who are a generation or two older than me, they all say something similar to - “I have been hearing of these things happening my entire life, and nothing has happened yet.” It would be easy to feel this way if you lived and became of age during the "Period of Great Stagnation” (60s - 90s) when technological progress seemed to hit a brick wall. Think about it, our entire standard of living comes from inventions from the 60s (all but the iPhone of course, maybe that's why we can’t put it down!)!
Before COVID made its appearance, society acted as if we were at the end of history. I’ll cut the previous generations some slack; maybe they were at the mercy of politicians, maybe microprocessors, maybe nuclear hysteria, whatever it was, all innovation stopped. Now we must all go through whip-lash as the technology of the 21st & 22nd century rips our precious social contracts apart. That might be the trickiest thing we have to navigate. The interpersonal dynamic changes, and social hierarchies become a lot more flat and meritocratic, but we also need to balance that with creating a supportive society that enhances the life standard of every individual.
I believe that by expanding individuals' understanding of the technology being deployed and how it can enhance their well-being and individual freedom, they will innately seek out and elect politicians who can lead with those ideals. So I'm going to give it a go. But who am I? Well, to be honest, I am just a human who believes that deep down, we all are searching for the same thing. A place where we feel embraced to be ourselves and contribute whatever we do best to a greater whole. I could bore you with all the mundane stuff like what I do for a living or what credentials I have or any of the blah blah blah, but is it worth the time? I don’t think so.
Are You Feelin’ Moody?
INRI