From Fast Lane To Exponential Lane
Life in the fast lane has now become life in the exponential lane. I remember back in the day when we talked about “life in the fast lane” for those Americans traveling on the road to success and wealth, especially on Wall Street or in Silicon Valley. Today, we have shifted into warp speed (Captain Kirk would be proud) and life is becoming exponential, almost too much so. And, the shift affects everyone, not just the rich and famous. Change is happening at rates of 10X and even 100X.
Exponential Growth Is Everywhere
Everywhere I look, I see exponential growth or growth on the way to becoming exponential. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are one such example. The total market cap for all cryptocurrencies went from zero to over two trillion dollars in 12 years. Another example is the abundance of new technologies emerging across all industries. We have yet to see how artificial intelligence (AI), virtual/augmented reality, robotics, nanotechnology, the metaverse, and others will play out. No one on this planet can grasp these technologies in toto or have them all on his or her radar screen. We have not yet expanded our human bandwidth that much.
Coping With Exponential Change
How will we cope with such change? I am not sure, and I don’t know that anyone can cope effectively. We must channel this change in creative ways though, or we will be overwhelmed. Perhaps Alvin Toffler was correct. I believe such growth will go beyond “Future Shock,” as the name of his bestseller in 1984 styled it, to future destabilization. In the corporate world (of which I am most familiar), change has always been fought with resistance. The more dramatic the change, often the greater the resistance. And, even if the resistance were positive or beneficial, it mattered not. Such is the perversity of human nature, which we are all blessed with in abundance.
Future Challenges
The many challenges that sit athwart our way forward in the remainder of this century are horrific to contemplate. The ones that shock me the most include the rise of authoritarianism (ever more so even in today’s America), the demonization and destruction of the free market system, the centralization of power, and the growing acceptance of socialism as a solution to all our problems.
Sadly, the educational system in the United States has gone AWOL, from top to bottom, in teaching our children how to think critically and how to act responsibly. Equally as perilous is the lack of strategic leadership around the globe. We saw this lack of thinking strategically with the coronavirus policies implemented in 2020 and 2021. I believe that inept leadership should give pause to all of us. It certainly does me, and it keeps me awake at night as well.
Links
External: https://www.amazon.com/Future-Shock-Alvin-Toffler/dp/0553277375
Internal: https://whitebeardwisdom.com/what-are-americas-burning-platforms/