The Future is Ours to Be Created
Lately, my crowd of 20-somethings and I have been questioning everything under the sun:
Why is marriage so easy to get into and yet, so hard to get out of?
Do we actually want kids or is that a by-product of society and culture telling us so?
What is our role in saving the earth and how can we sustainably protect both our local communities and the planet?
How do we have our cake and eat it too - have a well-paying job and still be able to travel and live life the way we want to?
The truth is… we’re not the only ones. During pandemic lockdowns, people finally had the time, space, and energy to think about larger societal questions and how they directly impact their lives. Now that we’ve emerged from the bubble and have started to rapidly force our return to normalcy (companies taking away hybrid options, packed public transportation, and rising costs of living), these questions have moved to the back burner in favor of more immediate issues.
However, as we march towards 2030, it’s truly deep-seated thoughts like these that will shape the way our society continues to evolve. Experts have declared a perfect storm of macro-forces such as the declining birth rate in the US, the rise of augmented reality and blockchain technology, and greater freedom of self-expression to be early signals that society as we know it will experience a massive shift. These, and other, evolving trends have the power to change how we interact with each other and the world around us, and indicate that our once-sacred economic, legal, and political institutions are beginning to give way.
Now, some might see this as a personal affront or rage against an imperfect system but in reality, it’s simply a fact. All empires fall. But it’s the ability and the willingness to change and adapt over time to meet society’s shifting needs that inspire civilizations worth fighting for. Thus, the onus is on us, as individuals, communities, brands, and leaders, to think together and apart about what the potential for this brave new world can truly be. Opening ourselves up to question and critique how society currently functions, is truthfully the only way to build it back into a better, stronger, and more inclusive space for all.
Beyond just asking existential questions into the void, the real work must be done of uncovering the ‘why’ - what true purpose lies behind the creation of this institution, who was it designed for and who was it designed to be against, how has it evolved since its inception, and is there still a need for its current form in the society of tomorrow? Getting to the root of these pillars won’t be easy and there might not always be clear-cut answers. But I would challenge us all not to shy away from the fray, for it is only within the clash and the thunder, that minds will meet, fresh perspectives will be uncovered, and inch by inch we’ll get closer to our collective dreams.
So don’t be afraid to join a think tank, get out and vote, volunteer in your community, or even split a bottle of wine with your nearest and dearest to begin to understand why we are the way we are, and most importantly, what we should and could be.
The future is ours to be created, we just need to ask ourselves all the hard questions first.
