The world will never be the same. If there’s a time to raise to the occasion, that time is now. But what to do? You’re smart. You’ll figure something out! And when you do, please reach out. Not necessarily in the comments below, but to your friends, particularly those whom you feel as a good partner.
If any idea is just outright BAD, please call it.
Obvious information (hygiene, supplies, social distance) intentionally left out. This is about thinking outside the box.
Space & resources running out
There are many people working from home so there’s A LOT of centrally-located real-estate is just waiting to be used.
Not to mention tourism is on pause, so countless hotels are empty. In Romania, one family is in talks to allow their hotel to be used for corona virus patients.
Donations for temporary using real estate could be compensated by the government with tax breaks.
Such locations could be used for:
Warehouses
Temporary hospitals
Locally-driven crisis management hubs
There is, of course, the matter of WHO (pun not intended) will operate all this! Perhaps if we had more protection equipment, such as hazmat suits, a lot of volunteers would show up. But how to produce all this?
Ford and several other automobile makers in the USA, as well as many other companies that own factories across the globe have already started producing^ ventilators and other medical supplies.
Well… if capitalism is good at one thing, that’s ADAPTING. FAST.
Emergency Mobilization
During the past few weeks, it has become clear that it’s now or never. Nation-states, corporations and people should consider themselves in a greater emergency than being “at war”. This is not about killing each other. This is about saving each other. This is about showing each other that we deserve to live! We can rise to the occasion. And so we will!
Many people are now without a job
We can use our technology to our advantage to partially turn this around.
Governments pledged (lots of) money to save companies. Well, then perhaps some money could be redirected towards hiring some of the jobless (if they wish) to help in any of the following areas:
Help lines
Information
Somebody to talk to for the elderly and those that are afraid (there are already services for this but they are already overloaded). People in the tourism industry may be particularly good at this.
Tracking the spread of the virus
Delivery of goods
LEADERS for various ideas & initiatives. We need leaders today more than any time in history. Leaders in ANY CONCEIVABLE MEANING OF THE WORD.
Long term, people can develop new skills. Temporary jobs can be created:
in manufacturing of protection equipment such as:
Hazmat suits
Masks
in manufacturing healthcare equipment such as:
Respirators
Beds
Volunteer
First, I will volunteer myself. I’m going to put at least 30 minutes of my own time, every day, to help this crisis, in any way I feel fit #30minutes4covid . Today, it was writing this (which actually took 2 hours including research).
I’ve kept thinking about how to help and kept updating this article. I enrolled to participate in a Hackathon (since I’m a software engineer). I dropped my weekly couple of hours of entertainment to fully focus on doing something good during these troubled times: coding, writing, talking, whatever I can! I keep my ears open and my eyes peeled. Not only do I seek how to help, I look & listen for what life shows me.
If you want to do something similar, just post on social media and take it from there :). You’re smart. You’ll find ways to help.
Useful Online Tools
A collection of useful online tools to combat loneliness. They all depend on HOW you want to deal with your loneliness. Some tools may not be good for you.
https://meetup.com^ – shocking, this website is actually used for REAL LIFE meetups. But here’s the thing: the way it categorizes interests & provides suggestions is very well built. So, start with meetup and then work your way to…
Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, FaceTime, the list goes on and on.
Keep an eye on what amazing people are coming up with during Hackathons around the world. Here’s the one I enrolled in. I’m eagerly waiting for the list of winners!
In case you’re thinking I’ve drifted off the original topic of the post, think again. The corona outbreak does not only test our physical bodies, but also our minds. At times like this, it’s easy to fall prey to fear, mistrust and hate.
Don’t think we’ll tear each other apart for survival’s sake.
Let’s prove we’re different. Mankind has evolved.
Don’t preach
Not everybody has the willpower, energy or interest to help just yet, or maybe they’ll never have it. Don’t let this stop you. Don’t blame. Act according to your moral compass. You have it.
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Somebody in a position of power once told a newcomer: “You have a choice. You can be an insider or an outsider. If you are an outsider you’ll retain your right to say anything you want, whatever you believe in but know that you’re going to be persecuted, you’re going to be vilified and you’ll be jettisoned. On the other hand, you can choose to be an insider, to play the game… If you chose to be an insider you’ll be given information that outsiders don’t have, you’ll be given… an opportunity… to make some… small tiny changes within the inside, but the one rule that you must respect, is that insiders do not tell outsiders the truth, and they do not turn against other insiders.”
Well said. Except for the fact that it’s not all black and white. There is no absolute boundary between insider and outsider. Boundaries fluctuate with every situation and for every piece of information. This is very important, because it’s what successful activism is all about.
Activism is defined as: “efforts to promote, impede, direct, or intervene in social, political, economic, or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society.”
There are many ways through which activists can voice their message and act on it. Just like an activist’s relationship with a system is complex, so is the activist’s spectrum of action.
Throughout history stretches a long list with names of activists that were persecuted, tortured and even killed. Sometimes, their suffering or death only accelerated the changes they fought for.
But there’s an even longer (and mostly unknown) list with the names of hidden activists. Those that have treaded carefully and taken fewer risks in order to ensure their safety and thus, the longevity of their work. These are the little-known heroes that operated patiently, within the confines of a system (and often working around the system), changing it from the inside, slowly but surely (and often collaborating with the “outsiders” more than we will know in this lifetime).
The overall effect
What determines the success of a message? The shock and confrontation approach, or a slow and careful process of sculpting society? A sprint prodding others to act, or a marathon of implementation? The answer is: any mix of the above. That’s where an activist’s strategy comes into play. And let’s not forget that chance also plays a role.
Activism requires a great understanding of society. Careful messaging (writing and presenting) is a must. However, the success of an activist is not determined only by skillful messaging, but also by the careful orchestration of one’s social interactions.
The first thing on an activist’s mind should be how to ensure the most positive outcome with the least amount of risk and effort. In thinking about this, it is useful to consider the three pillars of activism: the relation with the insiders, the intensity of one’s message and the scale of one’s actions.
The activist’s relation with the in-group
Whatever an activist militates for, there is a social group that does things (very) differently. Within this group, there are counter-activists and leaders.
The quote we started with is a very simplified view on the extremely complex interactions that occur between social groups. Can an activist even consider ejecting oneself as far from the insiders as possible? This all but removes the possibility of using diplomacy – the exquisite art of negotiation and trading with knowledge.
There’s a saying: “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. How else can an activist truly understand the opposite camp? The word “enemies” is a bit too strong: a wise activist understands that there is no enemy, just different points of view. This understanding will lead to a healthy relationship with “the insiders”. This is more than a necessity; it is a prime ingredient of success.
The intensity of the message
“Change your beliefs, or die!”
Could, by any chance, such a threat cause people to assume a defensive intellectual stance? Could any message accompanying such a statement be discarded? Of course yes and of course it will.
The exaggeration above serves to illustrate the point that when crafting any message, a deep understanding of its target audience is paramount. Even if that audience is the activist’s own group, messages that are too radical are likely to alienate the opposition and do more harm than good. The opposition is likely to push back with comparable force.
On the other hand, weak messages won’t achieve anything. Crafting and presenting a balanced message is at the very heart of meaningful activism.
The scale of the actions
Even though messaging and diplomacy are actions themselves, this third pillar of activism is about those concrete actions that contribute to the intensity of the message and complement diplomatic efforts.
The scale of an action is the number of people becoming aware of it. This is not necessarily related to the number of people whose opinion is influenced by the action. Some may be indifferent, while some may see the action as a threat and steer away from the direction desired by the activist.
Never start big: at a small scale even wrong actions may be beneficial, as they may lead to valuable lessons. However, even a good action at the wrong scale will have undesired effects, damaging a social activism campaign. More than anything, actions make or break activists.
The predictable activist
Whatever would one’s stance be in regards to each of the three pillars of activism, this better not change often. Vocal activists should stay vocal, patient diplomats should continue working diligently. A chaotic way of working will erode trust, which is arguably the most valuable currency an activist possesses.
Activism is a profession like any other. And like any professional, the activist should deliver with constancy and predictability. Unpredictable activists make larger waves, but do so by taking risks that can jeopardize themselves and their campaigns.
Treading carefully
There’s a hidden activist in all of us. I wish for everybody to listen to that inner voice and find where we can make even the smallest difference. The world needs it now more than ever. We live in a period where the actions of the many are necessary to revert the mistakes of the few.
But tread carefully. Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past. We seek evolution, not revolution^. The activists we need aren’t those that reject dialogue, but those that understand that opposites attract. Be and let be^.
Disclaimer: despite what I’ve been writing on this website, I do not consider myself an activist. The closest “role” I can describe myself as is historian.
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Disclaimer: 1. I love (true) democracy, 2. Even with its flaws, I do think that the current system is WAY better than absolutism, 3. I wrote this article in a period of my life where I was quite upset with the socio-geo-political situation in the world. Even so, I’m no revolutionary. I’m an evolutionary :). That being said…
How to destroy democracy in 7 simple steps
Employ representative democracy^. “Nearly all modern Western-style democracies are types of representative democracies”. This removes democracy from the people and hands it to far-from-reach representatives (politicians). These can be bought, manipulated and when they become useless or exposed, can be thrown away. The masses can be angry at a face, but the machinery controlling that face remains hidden.
Own the democratic menu. Fewer parties at the election mean less options for the voter. The ideal situation is, of course, having just two parties. This creates the illusion of choice while, in fact, the menu has been completely sterilized. Imagine going to a restaurant and being able to choose between just two dishes. And they both contain ingredients you can’t tolerate.
Control education. Stuff kids’ minds with facts and figures, invest as much time as possible in developing memory and practical skills. This creates good workers. Reduce time invested in developing emotional intelligence, empathy, self-worth and respect. This ensures that there’s enough people with psychological problems later on, enough that end up being criminals and even more that are easy to control. Focus on creating consumers of cheap entertainment and useless products; people who invest most of their time staring at screens, thus increasing the time that they can be programmed through media. Which brings us to…
Control the media. Newspapers, radio & TV stations, internet publications should be bundled into large conglomerates owned by media moguls who can easily censor any attempt at exposing the decay of democracy. Downplay the advantages of other systems of government. Demonize the other, whatever the other may be. Create enemies out of thin air, distribute fear, desensitize to violence^.
Suppress dialogue. First, isolate people in online bubbles. Then, gather bubbles in neat little herds that can be targeted with just the right kind of information to gently steer their opinion. Under no circumstances should opinions flow freely from one herd to another: this might lead to civilized dialogue which, every democracy destroyer knows, is the number one enemy of ignorance and manipulation.
By controlling education & the media, representative democracy should be presented just as “democracy”: this is the real democracy, there is no other. The population must be educated to be proud to live in such a system and under no circumstances should direct democracy^ or any other systems be mentioned in a positive way.
Continuously spray each crop of politicians and research new spraying methods and compounds. By this, of course, I mean indoctrination. Keep the indoctrination program in good shape. Grow politicians that are easy to corrupt. Well-sprayed politicians are cheap to own and can do miracles for the banks and corporations controlling them.
Spray Your Crops
Democracy in 2019
Oh, democracy, how proud some countries are to have you. But oh, democracy, are you really there? The vast majority of “democratic” countries in the world employ a twisted version of the original concept called “representative democracy^”. That is to say, instead of direct democracy^ – where all citizens can directly express their opinion about each and every single thing happening in their society) – the country is run by a select group of “experts” (politicians) who are supposedly more qualified to decide regarding what’s best for their constituents.
Now-a-days, few people seem to realize that specialized ministries (education, agriculture, development) are in fact drowned by graduates of political schools and other bureaucrats that have almost no clue about the ministry they’re supposed to lead. These people are quickly transformed into puppets of corporations that gladly offer their “advice” regarding how things should be run.
Indeed, since time immemorial, our democratic representatives, like all selfish humans^, have their own interests. In 2019 it’s hard to find politicians who are not in somebody’s pocket. That is not to say that some of those pockets (lobbyists) aren’t well-intended and actually wish to help our civilization overcome this dark age of violence and mistrust. Unfortunately, the same rules apply to everybody: representative democracy opens the door not only to the “good guys” but also to greedy, power-hungry sociopaths.
Even worse is the fact that the glorified democratic pride-fest called “the elections” is, in the vast majority of cases, a battle between a small number of parties which results in very few options for the voter. The democratic menu is controlled by the establishment. It is censored and carefully orchestrated by the mainstream media which is, in turn, owned by people with business interests. These individuals support those parties whose measures would favor their bottom line – and guess who ends up working more and getting fewer benefits.
The main problem with parties is that they force a country to be run by rigid dogmas that conform to the party’s creed. It’s not all that different from other outdated political practices such as running a country according to the views of a monarch or bishop.
Most people like and dislike a number of proposals from almost every party they can vote for. Almost every party has proposals their own voters dislike. Similarly, a party has proposals that voters of other parties do like, but they won’t vote for that party because there are not enough policies they like, or because there’s one single policy they strongly disagree with. So, for that single “flaw” a party has, all its other valuable proposals are lost.
To make matters even worse, parties often organize into coalitions, making it easy to break election promises because “hey, the other members of the coalition didn’t agree to what we originally promised.” Representative democracy has become a way to muddle the democratic landscape in order to escape accountability. Mainstream media gives us televised debates between party leaders, a sort of boxing match made to distract and hide the dirty party machinery.
Compare this to direct democracy^ where not only parties but also citizens can put proposals forward and subject them to a vote. This form of government is used in some cantons in Switzerland and other isolated social pockets around the world. See the linked Wikipedia entry for more details.
This isn’t democracy. This is a theater play where most of the population is hypnotized and made to believe that they have a choice. The only real choice is what sort of country to be a slave in: authoritarian or “democratic”.
Blowing up
Back in 2015 I wrote that “social unrest^ around the world is rising to dangerous heights^, creeping its way from one country to the next^. Civilization is literally boiling: pockets of revolt show up and then miserably subdue – as a result of careful manipulation, merciless intervention or lack of immediate success.”
Now, four years later, things have gotten much, much worse, with the volcanic rise to power of far-right candidates and authoritarian leaders across the world. I consider that the success of the far-right is, really, the success of the machinery controlling our fake democracy. The apparatus has succeeded in creating a political current that absorbs frustration and hatred and promises various kinds of radical changes for enough desperate people to believe in. Instead of fixing our civilization, we risk sinking into a dark, dark age.
The far-right isn’t even the problem. In a legitimate democracy, they have their place and right to be there. They even bring some valid points, such as a strong cultural immune response against the destruction of local cultures. But it’s all wrapped in hate, and as the saying goes, you reap what you sow.
Protests are bound to become more explosive. First reason: political polarization. The success of the far-right will amplify the revolt of those who fought for decades to build a better world. Second reason: the Internet. The free flow of information is now augmented by various technologies that can connect people even when extreme censorship is applied.
Several governments have abused their powers in various ways while trying to compromise or squarely shut down our means of unhindered communication. Countries such as China^, Iran^, Turkey^, Egypt^, Syria^ and Russia^ but also such bastions of “democracy” like the United Kingdom^ or United States^ have all prepared censorship mechanisms. I expect that list to grow exponentially in the coming years as more and more governments and their power-hungry manipulators become aware of the explosive power that the Internet can give to any enlightening political movement.
Frankly, the Internet has seen much better times. There is a noticeable decay in the free flow of information even when compared to last year. People have been caught in the net of giant corporations that specialize in isolating them in neat little bubbles from where they can’t discuss with people of other ideologies.
Dialogue, civilized and uncivilized is essential for democracy. Dialogue is suppressed by first removing the need for people to communicate face-to-face (thanks to the oh-so-convenient devicescreen). Then comes the decisive blow of keeping voters in nice little flocks that are easy to control. Tell each flock what they want to hear. Some flocks may not be within reach, and some may be too smart to control. But remember, it’s enough to control the majority.
Money
Unfortunately, in the age of corporationism, politicians and business interests go hand in hand. It’s almost impossible for a politician to succeed without the financial clout of some lobbyist (the best example of this “pact with the devil” can be seen at work in the United States’ PAC system^). But really, almost all democracies are infested with various strains of the lobbying virus.
Most people are either unaware or they don’t dare to think that this broken system can be repaired. Even so, most voters have begun to associate wealth and excess with the ruling class (an association that is often encouraged by reported facts – for example how could one of Ukraine’s former presidents afford this?^).
Despite massive advances in technology, a family can hardly afford to own a house in a situation where a single adult is working, as was the case not long ago. Two adults working full time can barely pay off a mortgage in 30 years. This forces families to commit their children at an early age to the industrialized education system where they can be indoctrinated at a stage where their minds lack vital intellectual and cultural defenses.
But all is not lost. We are going through a period when we, “the represented”, are reminded of the power we inherently wield. Our leaders would not be in their seats without somebody to represent. And while in decades past we have often ignored their abuse of power, even when we saw it happening right under our noses, now, disturbing statistics^ about income inequality spread like wildfire and bury themselves deep within the collective subconscious. The result is not pleasant and it’s probably going to get worse^ before it gets better.
Even in the most liberal countries, there are very few ways through which we can vent the frustration on our leaders. Most people with a bit of political acumen have by now understood that the voting process has become almost completely irrelevant: in most countries (yes, even in the holier-than-thou Western democracies) political parties are nothing more than pawns in the hands of business interests. The democratic exercise has become a mockery of its base principles; therefore, the voting booth is no longer a valuable tool. Whatever independent media still exists (not much), has little power.
We’re left with the third option: going out in the streets where, lately, more often than not, the protest becomes destructive. Considering all this, it’s not surprising that the younger generations have lost interest in the current organization of society.
It is also the reason why extremist parties gain in polls. It’s not because they’re any good, it’s because they specialize in selling escape, and many are just desperate enough to buy it.
Great efforts will be needed to restore democracy and our faith in it. Most probably, what we need is, simply put, in software terms: Government 2.0, a topic I wrote about recently^. Indeed, we now have the technology to make direct democracy a viable system of government.
This piece was originally titled “Democracy Dies in Darkness” and it’s inspired by the Washington Post’s tagline, which caused quite a stir^ when it was adopted back in 2017.
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As our civilization develops, so do our social structures and institutions. There’s daily news about all sorts of innovative ways technology is used to improve everything about our society ranging from transportation and agriculture to healthcare and education. But… what about prisons?
Oh, there’s news about prisons too: riots, overcrowding and dismal results when it comes to actually convincing criminals that it’s better to respect the rules of society. So, when do those that have the most need of a guiding light get to see some improvement in how we help them rebuild their lives?
Prisons have evolved, as illustrated by countries such as Norway^. For the most part, however, detention institutions are still stuck in what will be looked at by the historians of the future as one of the longest-lasting vestiges of an unenlightened past. In a century or two, we will look at the prisons of today just like we now look at torture chambers.
Varying degrees of crime, varying degrees of success
Prisons can and have saved people. Violent criminals should be temporarily removed from society. But in this day and age, we’re smart enough to make the difference between a thief, a mass murderer, a person that was in the wrong state of mind at the wrong time and a corporate scumbag^ in need for some education in empathy. Yet, they all end up in pretty much the same system, being dealt the same treatment. It’s exactly like prescribing varying quantities of the same old aspirin to all patients, regardless if they’re suffering of cancer, flu, hernia or depression.
Some time ago, torture was widely accepted while the capital punishment wasn’t even remotely considered ethically wrong. Today, many countries on Earth have abolished^ the death penalty. In some time still, depriving anybody but the most violent criminals of their freedom will be considered nothing short of barbaric. Neither humans nor animals belong in cages^.
Most people that go to prison end up costing the society even more, as recidivism^ rates are absurdly high. Imprisonment isn’t working the way it’s supposed to if the result is that a person is, in reality, permanently stigmatized and traumatized in such a way that they can rarely rejoin society.
Punishments such as solitary confinement are inhumane. The behavioral corrections they instill in an individual are rarely a sign of true improvement. More often than not, these changes in the prisoner are just a form of training that will disappear soon after the individual realizes the threat of punishment is gone: humans are harder to train than other creatures.
A major prison reform is long overdue
Norway is definitely onto something when it comes to “open” prisons. Wouldn’t it be more useful for society if those that committed a crime can actually continue or start contributing to society? This doesn’t have to bear the stench of forced labor and oppressive regimes on it. Imagine a city where those that broke the law can live freely while guided and assisted by both professionals and volunteers from the outside, including their own families.
And besides, in the surveillance age^, who needs walls and bars? Sure, certain very dangerous individuals or the criminally insane might need to be committed to a special institution where they can be cared for by psychologists while they play violent video games^.
Speaking of surveillance, were you aware of China’s Social Credit System^? It sets a dangerous precedent. It shows what a police state can do once it gets its paws on sufficiently advanced technology. However, what if the same technology can be used to give individuals a fair chance at rehabilitation?
Imprisoned while free, free while imprisoned
Consider that a large portion of today’s prisoners have not directly hurt another human being. They are not rapists, nor murderers. They are thieves, petty criminals, misguided (hate) ideologists or simply people that ended up in the wrong entourage (due to social segregation^) only to eventually get caught up in a cascade of unfortunate consequences.
What if instead of depriving these people of their potential, we would allow them freedom of movement and action, but under a regime of tight surveillance? Let’s not forget that the surveillance methods of today are extremely capable and efficient. What China is getting ready to apply to most of its citizens^ (read: the workers, the powerless) has been available in many other democratic countries as well, albeit with the notable difference that there’s a slightly tighter regulatory framework. In democratic countries they usually require a warrant to put somebody under surveillance.
But, taking a page from China’s book, wrongdoers that have not directly hurt another human being can be sentenced to surveillance for a number of months or even years. Their actions will be tracked and evaluated by automated algorithms, subject to verification by human supervisors. In other words, a human-computer parole officer that, at the end of the sentence, can observe and guarantee that the former criminal is no longer a criminal, but a person that has a positive contribution to society, a job and perhaps even a healthy social life.
A new life?
It would be naïve to assume that all criminals would take advantage of the opportunity to start a new life. But it’s logical to assume that recidivism would decrease, as people wouldn’t be forced to live in a confined space alongside gangs that preach the worst of criminal practices.
Convicts that end up committing further crimes could still remain free, although confined to ever-tighter areas, eventually having to live and work in the afore-mentioned prison cities.
Regardless of the specific way prison reform is implemented, it is not only necessary, but the humane thing to do. We invest a lot of energy in fighting for the ethical treatment of animals, for the environment, even for favorite sports teams, brands or politicians. But how about investing some energy in fellow human beings that have slipped between the cracks of our society?
Isn’t forgiveness a virtue preached by most cultures? How can we truly say we wish to make the world a better place if we throw people away from sight, lock them up, failing to realize that perhaps it is our own society’s fault^ that they ended up behaving in a violent way?
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We often gasp at the amount of wealth various entrepreneurs have amassed. News about economic inequality^ (sometimes known as income inequality) is quite common lately, and so it should be. Slowly but surely, society’s patience^ is reaching the breaking point^ and when that happens, chaos^ ensues.
It is hard not to be shocked when confronted with the knowledge^ that the accumulated wealth of 42 individuals (no typo, it really is a two-digit number) is greater than that of the poorest half of the world’s population put together. And then there’s that already outdated statistic about the world’s top 1% owning more than the bottom X% (82% as of 2017 and growing).
Is there a reason to rage when these statistics show up? To many, the answer is an obvious “yes”. Indeed, the disparity is staggering, but fury isn’t usually the right attitude to address a problem. There are many factors that contribute to the present state of affairs and we are directly responsible for some of them. Owning up to this is the first step towards improving things.
As I’ll soon show, there are different kinds of “rich and powerful”. Some of these people are highly beneficial for the progress of our species, while others are destroying lives and wrecking our ecosystem, dragging down society by setting the wrong examples.
The problem isn’t with the rich. If we can even call it a problem, it lies with a society that produces individuals who would do anything to accumulate more wealth, fame and power. When such people do not possess neither the skills nor the opportunity to advance, they start breaking the rules. Eventually, they lose touch with constructive social values while trying to satisfy their insatiable hunger. Empathy and ethics go down the drain so there’s no wonder some of these people act in a completely alien way^. The good news is that it is well within our power to modify the social constructs that are at the root of all this.
Greed and recklessness
Examples about the excesses of the rich are very easy to find. Most of these cases concern an increasingly staggering waste of resources: luxury goods of questionable origin, extravagant properties and a way of life that is severely out of balance with the rest of society. Unfortunately, there are even worse excesses than the material ones, such as the exploitation of other people and, to generalize, disrespecting the ecosystem.
Some of these behaviors are not that difficult to understand because they are driven by instinct. Read this earlier article about the rules of the human game^, which describes how instinct drives a wedge between society’s noble goals and the often-greedy personal needs. Fortunately, we’re a highly adaptable species. It’s up to us to change the rules by which we play with.
Take the worst example of a human being you can think of and realize that the way they acted is, for the most part, a consequence of their education and life experience. We were all born innocent. Genetics plays a role too, of course, but especially when it comes to character and life choices, it is mostly society that shapes individuals.
Philanthropy and inspiration
What many people seem to ignore is the fact that most of the wealthy tycoons are talented administrators and gifted visionaries. They are alchemists of skill and opportunity. Many of them have blasted their way through the hard rock of ages to carve a path through which our civilization can advance.
It is not only scientists and philosophers who deserve credit for our progress. More often than not, having the courage to invest in the dreams of another (even if doing so for the purpose of taking over said dreams when they mature) and having the will power to pour one’s entire life to reach a certain goal are qualities that can produce tremendous benefit for society.
So how exactly do the super-rich help us? There are countless examples of charitable acts that have helped our society, going back to the dawn of recorded history. As our philosophy and social ethics developed, charity evolved into philanthropy^ (read the first paragraphs of the linked article to learn about the difference between the two). The number and influence of philanthropists^ make this into a very powerful social force.
One of the best examples is the Nobel Prize^. It shows how one wealthy man’s donation can ripple through time to create one of the most distinguished and inspiring recognitions of achievement a human can receive. Warren Buffet’s Giving Pledge^ is also worth mentioning as a catalyst for such acts. A less clear-cut example is Bill Gates’ wealth, which led to the creation of a foundation whose modus operandi and purposes are slightly questionable^.
We need people like Elon Musk (as controversial^ as he is) and all the other up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Such individuals always had the potential to find new ways through which we can progress. This does not mean that the abuse and unfairness of some magnates should be tolerated and accepted as the status quo.
This is why we have free press (in most of the world), so that we may find out about and openly condemn people demonstrating an unethical, unconstructive behavior. Hopefully, one day they will realize that they’ve strode away from the honorable path. Yes, these things do exist: honor, ethics and wisdom. You won’t see these words too often in the mainstream media because a sort of hopeless pragmatism has infected many writers. They have either given up on their inner idealist, or are on the payroll of the wrong camp.
The social impact of the rich and famous is very important. They can inspire in both directions: towards the betterment of society or towards the obsessive interest with one’s ego. Again, let’s not forget that we are responsible for growing the powerful people of tomorrow.
A new method is required. And here is where the Internet and social media come into play. Today, we can unite in our thoughts regarding the worldwide changes that we desire. Through direct communication and public appeal, our words will slowly make it to the ears of the people at the top of the pyramid. And instead of beheading them or, worse, scaring them into beheading us, we will pass along a message of friendship and understanding. A message that we can start…
Building together
Many activists are so hooked on this idea of “revolution”. They are strung up on violent upheaval and showing their frustration using the fist and the gun. Some people^ knew this was wrong decades ago^. Have we completely forgotten them? Revolution is not what we need. A revolution implies a return to the status quo, but history must stop repeating itself. This can only be accomplished through evolution.
It’s time to decriminalize “utopia”. We need to cut some slack to the few dreamers who believe we can transform our society into something greater. We need to forgive ourselves for our history and understand, once and for all, that our future is our own choice. Our history is not a song stuck on repeat. Only then, will we see the light at the end of the tunnel and can begin pushing ourselves towards it.
And tell me, what wise leader wouldn’t enjoy knowing that he or she has empowered this species to change its course? It’s true that there are not many wise leaders today. They mirror our society, which in turns mirrors an obsolete industrialized educational system.
The wealthy who abuse power only do so because that’s the only way they know how to cope with their inner struggles or how to derive pleasure from their existence. A significant percentage of the world’s population suffers from a disastrous lack of understanding of what happiness really is (among others: it’s not a destination, but a way of traveling through life).
It is up to us to show what life and this world can be. But we won’t ever succeed if all we do is complain until it gets too much and then violence becomes the last resort. Nothing short of a work of art will suffice. And this work of art is the web of knowledge that is right now being spun by thoughts such as these, or these^ or these^. Countless writers in countless ways^ echo the same verdict: the time for change is near.
The way forward is to spread this knowledge. Because those of us that understand what working together truly means are still in the minority, we must be patient, we must wait for our peers to be interested in the alternatives we come up with. The struggles ahead must be overcome together. This is the next test that evolution has laid in front of us.
Discouraging violent response and encouraging calm and rational discussion (this is not incompatible with going out in the streets and voicing our arguments) is the only way we can write a new chapter in this species’ history, without the stains of blood and xeroxed cemeteries that come with the ravaging tides of war.
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Irrespective of us having free will or not, at least a part of our mind is taking decisions based on a very deeply rooted program. That program is our instinct and, like for all other species, its job is to ensure our survival. Instinct is both necessary and ruthless.
In the same time, we’re living in a society that reaches for higher moral grounds through the evolution of ethics and empathy. Our need for moral progress is probably also an evolutionary trait, ensuring social progress, which is a necessity of our survival as a species. We have gotten this far not only because we are skilled individuals, but also because we’ve found ways to work together through the direst of circumstances. However, the evolution of our society is sometimes in conflict with the instinct of the individual.
Healing the social schism
Through the use of education, most people today are aware of what their society is trying to build. Even so, there are those who fall prey to darker instinctual desires, which can become destructive. Sadly, due to their behavior, these individuals also face social exclusion of various kinds (imprisonment, disconnection due to social stratification).
This exclusion only serves to aggravate the problem because disconnected individuals lack the nourishment necessary for healing and growth. It becomes especially dangerous when such individuals reach positions of great power. The result is a sort of social schism where we as a species agree that we should be noble and kind, while in the same time individuals or social groups engage in harmful competitive behaviors.
The accelerated development of our technology means that unless we keep our destructive ways in check, we might go down like monkeys that went too far playing with the nuclear button. And this artificial “intelligence” thing^ racing towards us is much more dangerous than nukes. Globalization has also made it clear that it’s about time to develop a culture of planet Earth that acts as a sort of middle-ground between the countless conflicting cultures.
Reducing the risk of our species’ self-destruction as well as addressing world-wide suffering requires a paradigm shift that will see us question the very foundations of what we consider acceptable and unacceptable. It’s been a long time coming.
Fortunately, also regardless of us having free will, human behavior can change very quickly. What can be said about this is that, at the very least, it’s an evolutionary trait that has contributed to our survival. So, changing the rules of the game is well within our capability as a species.
Greed and the lust for power
One of the most common ways the survival instinct expresses itself is through the desire to accumulate. This is not limited to material goods. Humans are, for example, very good at accumulating friends in order to ensure social support for themselves. Having a social edge is a valuable currency that our primal brain knows very well to work with.
Greed has been tied to a so-called ruthlessness gene^ in our DNA. Again, through education, society has learned to tame certain urges. But even when the higher values taught by society manage to temperate greed^, humans are still notoriously poor at estimating their real needs.
The lust for power is rooted in the (quite accurate) perception that social status guarantees the access to an increased quantity of pretty much everything, including mates. It is understandable why this behavior exists. Natural selection is, after all, responsible for ensuring the quality of the gene pool.
Another interesting aspect is that some individuals have a very strong urge to compete, even after their basic needs have been met. This is at least partially influenced by genetics. Since most societies on Earth have fortunately distanced themselves from crude violence, we generally settle for intellectual competition within a peaceful society. But even there, the rules are strict (ethics, for example, are evolving fast). Some people are simply too competitive to be able to operate within such a restrictive context and then their “only option” is to break the rules. There are, in fact, lots of other options to satisfy competitive urges, but they are not fully exploited yet.
Preparing for the post scarcity economy means changing the rules
Even though (most of us) still have to pay (in various ways) to have a decent life, developed countries are approaching what is called a post-scarcity economy^. In a nutshell, it means that living will essentially become free. This will initially apply only to basic needs such as food and a place to live, but as technology advances, so will the number of things that will be provided for free (as in without having to have a job).
We could experience this very soon, if it wasn’t for an outdated system that is fighting for its survival. Like I said in a different article^, we can see any economic entity (small firms, corporations) as life forms in their own right. These creatures are right now fighting for their survival. Some are more ruthless than others. The same applies to governments. All of these entities try to mask their accountability through any means possible, because this allows them to become increasingly merciless. This, for a while, provides a competitive advantage, but often ends up blowing in our collective faces. Just look at how corporate negligence^ destroys lives and the ecosystem^.
It’s not surprising that we see so many scandals and abuse. The system is made up of people who often haven’t come to terms with the cold and calculated survival machine that lies at the bottom of our subconscious. What’s worse is that even people who try to change this are facing an uphill struggle against a system that promotes egotism and economically punishes charity.
Due to social inertia, this cannot change overnight. Radically different concepts need time to take root. But the change must happen, and it must arise from all social layers at once. Like many times before, it is up to the minority to inspire through the examples they’ll set. We already have people from all walks of life starting to talk about the same thing: we cannot risk our future by throwing bigger weapons at each other.
When the circle becomes a spiral
After countless cycles of bloodshed and revolution, it is time for evolution. Unlike most times, we will change the system without blaming our leaders or those that built it. We are, after all, together on the same planet, part of the same unfolding process of evolution. Is there a magically simple solution to achieve this? Surprise, there is! It’s called education.
Education is the foundation of our society. But education is also controlled by an obsolete system that fights for its survival. This is the reason why the changes we need must arise from everywhere at once, bursting through society in all directions. And yes, adults can be educated too. This is not a process that applies only to children, even though they are the easiest targets, which the current system uses to perpetuate itself.
Fortunately, there are also people at the top who see the need for change, but these sorts of leaders are increasingly outnumbered in a divided world that crashes towards nationalism. It is up to us to create the educational paradigms and institutions that will rear a generation of merciful and empathic leaders.
Today, working together across borders is discouraged due to the primitive and tribal way our society is still organized (nation states, rivaling corporations, often strict separation between cultures). But we can change the rules so that cooperation is rewarded. It’s not that difficult really.
For example, let’s spread the word about ethical consumerism^. This will make corporations change their way of operating, or risk dying due to a lack of customers. And let us introduce empathy as a mandatory subject throughout all layers of our educational system, studied from the very basics and up to the intricacies of philosophy and genetics.
I firmly believe that one day, we will look back at this century and be thankful for the changes we have made. Yes, I am part of the optimistic bunch that has decided that cooperation is the only way forward. Oh, don’t worry, we will still find all sorts of ways to compete through. How about competing in who can give most to the other?
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Relaxation and play constitute an important part of life. Most of us spend around half of our waking time at work. We live in a world of informational overload. As such, the breaks we can take from the daily routines are quite important. The digital age has made audio-visual entertainment cheap, easy to obtain and, for an ever-increasing number of people it became one of the main means of counteracting the stress of daily life.
Cinematography and computer games are the undisputed leaders when it comes to this sort of fun. There are a lot of excellent movies and games out there. The opposite is also true and therein lays a problem: entertainment is a highly efficient means of propagating stereotypes and ideologies. Let’s take a look at some of these effects and observe how they sometimes end up damaging our society.
The human body
Nowhere are the stereotypes more apparent than the portrayal of the human body in mainstream entertainment. The prime example is the stereotyping of the female body and the worst offender is the computer games industry. Take a look at these examples:
Females in computer games
Most action flicks spewing from Hollywood ooze the same type of intellectual pollution. Through this, not only are men trained into appreciating a stereotypical body type, but women are also subliminally directed into attempting to become exactly that. Men fall prey to images of them as muscle monsters that have to go to the gym and eat stuff like this:
The Church of the Artificially Grown Muscle – the all-mighty Protein Store
Why is this happening, who benefits from all this? On the one hand, we have the chemical nutrition industry, the cosmetics industry and of course, the pharmaceutical industry (which comes in when the chemical nutrition & cosmetics succeed in damaging the body). For these businesses, mainstream entertainment has become excellent free advertisement. The emphasis placed on the word “mainstream” is there to remind that we’re targeting the trend, rather than the exceptions.
On the other hand, we have the entertainment industry itself. With the stereotypes now in place, it is easy to create generic movies and games, all following the same template. This sort of patterned repetition generates quick income and strengthens existent stereotypes. It’s a clever system that feeds on itself and grows in size through the conversion of human intellect, not unlike religion really, which at one point was some societies’ means of escape from real or imaginary threats.
Many people try to resist this sort of programming. However, entertainment can be an insidious force. After showering the brain with sounds and images, it has the advantage of dealing with a relaxed mind that is at its most receptive to external stimuli, with most of its defenses lowered (because it’s just “fun” broadcasting). To better envision how important the state of relaxation is, simply remember how a muscle has to be before getting an injection.
Humans are relaxed when they are entertained, and it is therefore difficult to resist the poisonous messages delivered to them. The pornographic industry, for example, takes advantage of the receptivity of the brain while being entertained by erotic imagery. While in this state, the rewiring of neural pathways (obtained through repeated suggestion) is very efficient.
Devaluing beauty
The result of this “war against uniqueness” is a net devaluation of beauty. Stereotypes may be funny at times, convenient shortcuts at others, but sadly, a significant part of the entertainment industry has turned firmly against that which is unique, special and beautiful in favor of what sells. See this excellent short video^ about how men are treated in video games – like sacks of meat that should be stabbed, beat, shot and blown into oblivion.
Objectification leads to a loss of identity. When any person diverts too much attention towards physical aspects, they neglect the equally important internal world. That is not to say that physical beauty is irrelevant. Of course we should respect and take care of our bodies. However, due to the perpetual conditioning received through various forms of entertainment, many victims lose touch with the natural beauty of their bodies.
The mainstream pornographic industry is probably at the pinnacle of objectification. Taking advantage of already established stereotypes while in the same time reinforcing them, this business is one of the biggest earners in audio-visual entertainment. Many, if not most of the women performing in adult movies have done so under social pressure. There are many means of coercing, ranging from criminal (slavery) to exploiting social programming. Because of Social Contribution Inequality^, the number of vulnerable women is astonishingly high.
The advertisement business is akin to pornography
How many people have been through depression due to the way they believed their body looks? Notice here the use of the word “belief”. The human body is beautiful throughout the many changes that happen to it. But those that can influence what people see and hear love nothing more than to teach humans what to think about their and others’ bodies. The purpose is to divert people from their internal world, even abandon it in pursuit of cosmetic fixes. It’s no wonder many victims end up numbing themselves with antidepressants, filling up Big Pharma’s coffers.
In a healthy culture, there is no “ugly” person. A proof of this is that we often find ourselves in awe of a special, twisted tree. This is because we haven’t been conditioned as to what “the perfect tree” should look like. Although, it should be added that gardening is also an industry.
Devaluing life
While we’re at the subject of trees, why not look a bit further. Animals, robots, aliens, zombies, mutants, they’re all shoved into the cinema/gaming stereotype-fest in often unhealthy ways such as serving as cannon fodder during various types of massacre. Again, this is not about those beautiful productions that manage to challenge our intellect and present unique perspectives or teach us about compassion. It’s about the downward spiral towards the dark side of the survival instinct – fear.
There is little respect given to the creatures portrayed on-screen and even less compassion – which is not surprising, since the industry has reached a point where writers are demanded to produce shallow stories that satisfy consumers whose intellectual appetite has been numbed by low quality entertainment. There are exceptions to this, but they are increasingly rare.
Desensitization to violence & devaluing life
All of this devaluesour society’s inherent respect for life. It is therefore not surprising that humans are destroying their environment or subjecting other forms of life to benevolent imprisonment.
Solutions
Education is the obvious key here. Our children will be happier when they are aware of their natural beauty and even more importantly, they should know how to find and respect others’ natural beauty, how to appreciate the value of life, regardless of species.
An Intellectual Diet^ can help by getting rid of some of the toxic programming. A pro-active attitude is perhaps necessary. Boycott the companies that engage in such practices; refuse to see movies, buy games or products that sustain “dirty entertainment”.
Knowledge such as this is widely available all around us. Once incorporated, it can serve as a sort of mental immune system. I’m certainly not the first one to write on this topic and I wish others will continue to advance this discussion further. I rarely, if ever, ask anybody to share one of my articles, but if you can see value in what you just read, if you think that this is a good explanation for something that you already felt, perhaps now is the time to administer an intellectual vaccine to those that you care about.
To conclude on a positive note, here are some proposals for male costumes, if only artists would apply the same techniques used to emphasize women’s bodies.
Men Dressed Like Women
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There has been a lot of talk in the past decades about income inequality and for good reason. Various factors contribute to income inequality, such as the political orientation of a country or its economic status. But at the root of unfair reward systems lies a way of thinking that associates people with the immediate economic benefit that they bring to a group. In other words: no long-term strategy.
Such reasoning made more sense in a past when a famine could threaten the survival of an entire culture. Even though we live in quite different times (many countries are approaching post-scarcity economy^), our instinct hasn’t quite caught up yet. This is not entirely surprising given how fast we’ve evolved in the past centuries. Our “firmware” hasn’t had enough time to adapt. So, we’re still prone to terribly pragmatic and survivalist decision-making. Social contribution inequality is the result of this style of thinking. It is the poor rewarding of some members of society because others do not immediately see them as being profitable.
Valuing the unexpected
As history shows, the leading figures that have shone the light upon our evolution have come from the most unexpected of backgrounds. It is not only the producers (the “immediately profitable people”), but also the inventors and artists who have contributed into bringing us here, alive and prosperous. Therefore, we have a lot to gain by updating our social platforms to favor and nurture everybody. Otherwise, the next Leonardo Da Vinci, Nicola Tesla or Albert Einstein may never get the opportunity to change the course of history.
On the other side, we have those that we consider parasites, or those that, due to a lack of education or opportunity, have turned to crime. How many of them could have found something useful to do, had society given them the means to? And how many people actually turn to crime precisely because the educational system hasn’t found an economically-viable label to slap onto their foreheads?
There are many people who, despite not having a job, are heavily engaged in ensuring the well-being of a community. These are people who care, who help, who volunteer for all sorts of projects. Often, incredible and unexpected ideas spring from such individuals. Today, I think we are wise enough to understand that the smartest investment that we can do is in our society.
Getting rid of the stigma
The hardest but most important step that we, as a society, might have to take in order to usher a new age in cooperation, is to release humans from the social stigma of not having met certain social obligations. This is not to say that we should do away with education or jobs. But, respecting people and their potential without obligation or strings attached is a fantastic motivator. Humans have an inherent desire to improve themselves. Make room for this to happen and watch in awe.
However, this will require extensive social changes. Some countries in Europe are in an advantageous situation when it comes to their ability to implement the next-generation social infrastructure. Other countries will need a long time to twist their outdated mentalities into groundbreaking new directions. It might be, however, the only way any nation can remain competitive in the digital age.
As a bit of a side-note here: smaller entities and organizations will outrun sprawling bureaucratic nation-states. The sooner governments realize this, the better for all of us. The race for supremacy in the 22nd century has already begun.
Appreciating art
Artists improve our quality of life. The importance and reach of this sort of contribution is beyond imagination. Beside the revenue generated by artistic events and tourism, art has inspired people to do things that have furthered our civilization. Just think of how many inventions originated from the ideas of artists. Let’s take Star Trek for example. It is a highly profitable franchise, but has also served as an inspiration for several revolutionary technologies.
Yet, artists are among the worst compensated members of society. In some countries, even in Europe, children are warned against trying to become writers or painters because “you can’t make a decent living off of that”. This is a revolting state of affairs. We’re surrounded by the creations of countless generations before us, which should stand testament to the everlasting power of art.
Solutions
No country has yet implemented Unconditional Basic Income^, but it would be a step in the right direction. However, this will still not remove the stigma placed on people who do not seem to contribute to society in any way. But are they really not contributing? Many heroes have risen from anonymity. Countless artists were inspired by people who we might never know.
The discussion surrounding Universal Basic Income is still too heated. Perhaps we should take the middle path and create an array of new “jobs”. This might appease those people that are not yet ready to understand that the concept of a “job” is eventually going to be outdated^.
There should be no need to enroll in a political party or in a corporation. These jobs should be done in the service of the community one belongs to. In this way, we may find fine organizers, inspiring leaders, enterprising spirits and who knows what other synergies of talents?
Once we’ve taken this step, we can continue by offering education in all sorts of such jobs. People could be trained to become better volunteers or leaders or whatever activity they can find for themselves in the context of the current technological revolution. It is not outrageous to think we can trust most people to find a purpose for themselves.
Somebody wants to play games all day? Fine, there’s a huge market for that. Here’s some education on how it can be done better. The only reason for restricting education is because an educated, independent population is a huge threat for those that wish to manipulate it.
This isn’t going to erase criminality or provide an instant fix for all of our society’s problems, but it will probably improve the quality of life. With the proper education, humanity is ready for the next step. Luckily, the digital age is the perfect ramp to launch us in the right direction. Now the question is: will we use this ramp wisely?
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Just like the body is what it eats, the mind is what it experiences. This is a truth with vast and grave implications when it comes to the types of entertainment we invest our time in. Entertainment is a highly efficient social programming tool because, when entertained, the mind is open and relaxed. While in this state, it is easier for toxic messages to escape our scrutiny and infiltrate our thoughts.
A simple example about how entertainment has negatively affected our society is the impressive range of stereotypes it helped create. We need look no further than the objectification of both women and men. The silent enforcement of ideal body types starts as early as the first cartoons kids watch and continues throughout the adult life, slowly dripping into our minds from movies to magazine covers and commercials.
Desensitize through violence
Let’s start with a short thought experiment. Let’s imagine a person that has almost never seen other people getting hurt, shot or killed in movies, games or news. Now let’s say a military power decides to invade another country and the news suddenly broadcasts a scene of carnage. How would such a person react?
I’m pretty sure that in most cases, outrage would be a likely reaction. Politicians would suddenly have a much harder time selling the wars that the weapon manufacturers so badly want to happen. It’s quite likely that we’d see a drop in violent crime as well. This is quite a simple conclusion based on the fact that the mind is shaped by what it experiences and what is obviously passing as “entertainment” these days.
To be clear: I do not propose that we censor violent movies or games or that we don’t show the news as it is. As I grew up, I was exposed to plenty of violent entertainment and realities. I still play a few rather gory computer games. What I’m saying is that perhaps we need to take into consideration the quantities in which we absorb such imagery.
I believe that one of the purposes of this seriously biased towards violence entertainment style we are subjected to is to desensitize us to murder. It’s also easy profits for whoever produces such intellectual drugs: the brain is easily hooked on this sort of stimulation, because it taps into the primal, savage survival instinct. Like any drug, it is needed in increased quantities as the mind develops tolerance for it. We start our children with gun toys and cartoon battles and as they grow up, they’re left craving for more of the same.
Violence is present in all forms of art, but more recently, movies and video games have spread it more efficiently than ever. All this happens in a day and age when the race for survival is clearly not a matter of “dog eat dog” anymore. Given our vast resources and technology, it is not necessary that we massacre each other, or other beings for that matter.
Creating fake ambitions
Our will to survive is at the base of yet another important area of our behavior. This is probably even easier to tap into than the areas of our brain that are pleased by violent entertainment. You might have guessed it already: I’m referring to the desire to procreate. Sex is an excellent tool for selling products and creating fake ambitions (be thin, smell good, use certain brands to gain the approval of the opposite sex).
Unfortunately, the content shown on TV or “official” channels on the Internet is often seen as a sort of authority, even when it comes to advertisement. This is completely counter-intuitive, since advertisers are anything but altruistic. Most advertised products don’t have anything to do with improving our health; quite the opposite, actually.
Just a couple of decades ago we were advertising cancer. I’m quite sure most of the “beauty chemicals” advertised today are dangerous, although, hopefully, not quite as dangerous as the additives they’ve been stuffing our tobacco with.
Of course, it all goes way beyond advertisement. A lot of the entertainment beamed at us can be considered cultural weaponry, which is used to make us adopt certain lifestyles. There are many reasons for this, ranging from something as simple as profits (making us buy various products) down to truly dangerous society-changing opinion building (such as shaping political preferences, ideological orientation or religious affiliation).
The reason I use the word “weaponry” is because we are dealing here with actions that tamper with our minds, ultimately causing damage to our society. Perhaps the social standards haven’t advanced yet to the stage where we can own-up to the fact that we’re producing a lot of mind-corrupting junk, but this doesn’t mean it’s not time to start exposing it for what it is.
Solutions
The best solution I can imagine (and have started applying for myself) is adopting an intellectual diet. However, this must be voluntary. We can’t go about it by declaring “war on violence”. Censorship is not the way. Prohibition never worked and there isn’t any proof that it ever will. Humans’ desire to be free is too powerful.
We should aim towards increasing awareness regarding toxic entertainment. Most people I approached regarding this subject have agreed that the vast majority of movies being shown in cinemas today are utter junk. For me, this is a sign that we are already aware of the problem. The only and most important other step necessary is taking action and rejecting the content that abuses and insults our intellect.
Therefore, content creators should be encouraged to gradually improve their output and use it to educate the public. If we – as a society – decide that it is important to surround ourselves with positive art forms, I have little doubt that it is possible, within a couple of decades, to witness a pivotal change in our collective consciousness.
This change should not be seen as a threat to the economy, but rather as an opportunity to explore new challenges. If anything, humans are inventive. As with any evolutionary changes, new opportunities for profit will present themselves. Yes, a change in the intellectual environment could prove fatal for some economic entities, but then again, we don’t live in the jungle anymore so I’m quite hopeful nobody will die of hunger because of this.
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