Like every Sunday morning, I am reading my Sunday newspaper and enjoying the reading. Today, Eduard Punset (Spanish scientific educator) explains in one interview the many reasons we all have to be positive despite the current economic turmoil and the so called global/planetary crisis, which, by the way, is far from being global and please, planetary????
Among the many things he mentions I will cite: the unprecedented speed at which humans have gained life expectancy in the past century and how, despite humans still create violent conflicts we have managed to minimize the physical harm we cause as well as decrease general violence (on the street, at home, etc.)
He also states something that for me is obvious: technology and knowledge are the drivers of that progress. Even if we believe that they might be dehumanizing us (weird expression with no real sense), they are actually giving humans larger potential: live longer, live better and have made us more altruistic. And we DO LIVE BETTER. We might simply not be HAPPIER, by nowadays standards. Although I will bet that none of us would like to go and live what our grandparents had to go through. Past times might seem better (we just keep the good memories) but they were objectively worst (we simply choose to ignore that).
I agree with Punset in that we are in an inflection point, which, from my perspective, is causing the turmoil in the developed world because actions, establishment and life cannot be kept as they were in the past if we want to progress. He summarizes it brilliantly:
“Tienes una sociedad que técnicamente está en el siglo XXI; socialmente, en el XIX; y mentalmente, en la Edad Media.”
[You have a society whose technical foundations are on the XXI century; whose social foundations on the XIX and which is still on the Middle Age mindset.]
So, let’s be positive! Let’s embrace the change! And let’s bet for our future, not just on how we will survive tomorrow, but on what is there well after that! Because thanks to our progress, you will live that tomorrow that you see so far away. And in any case, history proves that it can only be better.
To those that are currently suffering the crisis in their families and whose current present is not any better than their recent past, I would suggest to remind them that they are not alone, that things have changed, and that they have the power and the tools to steer their future in the direction they want. However, they have to do it themselves; waiting for somebody to solve your situation will not solve it at all: ACT NOW! Use your pillars of survival: knowledge/education, social support (through family, friends and professional network), and be generous to others and they will be generous to you. Btw, technology can boost the use of these pillars.
Punset’s Interview (in Spanish) http://xlsemanal.finanzas.com/web/articulo.php?id=74518&id_edicion=6847
You should absolutely read http://www.rationaloptimist.com/ . In his book, Ridley deconstructs the fallacy according to which things used to be better in the past. He explains that in the past, the only way to have comfort was at the expense of others (i.e. slaves), whilst nowadays we have machines doing menial tasks without any human being having to suffer. This is why centuries ago only a fraction of the population could enjoy comfort whilst nowadays the majority (in some countries) can.
ReplyDeleteHe also explains the importance of specialisation in trade, that led to higher quality of life, because the increase productivity due to specialisation led to more time / ressources being available for luxuries, leisure and comfort.
I am also very optimistic about the future of our society, even if at the moment it seems a bit gloomy. The future of people like us who enjoy technology and constant learning, and know how to leverage it could not be better.