Humans are changing the world.

But the cost of our ingenuity is high.

Check out Peter Gluckman and Mark Hanson’s new book Ingenious – stimulating, thoughtful, challenging and provocative.

Some insights worthy of reflection.

·       The pace of change is accelerating exponentially – can we keep up?

·       The battle between man and nature is raging – especially given the rapid developments in technology being experienced by Generation Z.

·       We are winning (living longer, most people aren’t starving, diseases are being conquered) and we are losing (mental health, obesity, cyber-bullying, climate change, societal conduct, disharmony, extremism).

·       Digitalisation is limiting the ability of a democracy to be the model of survival for a nation state.  Platform companies rule!

·       You cannot unplug the internet.  We have to make people more psychologically resistant.  (Bring on Active Listening and Mental Toughness.)

·       Today’s dynamics of social media and public discourse polarise people and create tension/conflict, rather than harmony.

·       In social media, you select groups you already believe in.  It pulls people apart because you become more extreme in your views.

·       We have lost the appetite for measured, balanced discourse.

·       People think they no longer need a mediator, or expect – they feed their own biases to find out things that support their views.

·       Humans are endlessly innovative – no other species does that.

·       We are endlessly searching out new interventions to deal with the downsides of previous interventions.

What to do?  (KR views):

·       Educationally – give our young people emotional resilience, self-control, EQ skills and mental toughness.

·       Politically – move to longer term policy making which is driven by leaders and Purpose, not by social media.

Onwards!

KR