#41 Unaligned agendas

ByLukas
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Benefit and harm all depend on your perspective. The futurist John Smart suggests looking at phenomena, trends, and events through four different lenses (the “Foresight Tetrad“):

  • Personal
  • Organizational (=collective)
  • Global
  • Universal

Every level has its own agenda, but their interests are rarely fully aligned.

For example: for evolution and natural selection to work, a life form must have a reasonably short lifespan, reproduce quickly, and most importantly, not clone their DNA perfectly. Because small genetic reproduction errors help a species evolve and become better adapted to our environment.

Sn an organizational/collective level (taking all of humanity together) those genetic errors are a good thing. In fact, without them, human beings in our current brain, with our current intelligence, wouldn’t even exist. Not at a species level, and not at an individual level.

But to stumble upon a couple of beneficial “genetic errors”, evolution also needs tons of harmful genetic errors.

That means that every newborn runs the risk of genetic errors that can cause medical conditions, pain, and suffering – on an individual level.

We suffer individually to evolve collectively.

Another example: in our quest to improve the condition of humanity as a whole (at the organizational/collective level), we’re harming other species and change the climate (at a global level).

Ignoring the principles the universe and the earth as an ecosystem might well lead to collapse of that ecosystem – and result in the collapse of humanity.

The universe has an agenda.
Natural selection has an agenda.
The global earth has an agenda.
Humanity as a whole has an agenda.
Individuals have an agenda.

We can’t afford to ignore any.

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    #84 Long-term Side Effects of Procrastinating

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    I can choose to procrastinate on a project for weeks – then finish it all in one go, right before the deadline.

    In absolute terms, I might have been very efficient with my time – but the time I saved, I spent frustrated with myself.

    The long-term effect on my self-image: I’m a procrastinator.

    What if I work a little bit on a project every single day – and have it finished well before the deadline?

    I might spend more time in total – but every day, every moment spent makes me feel good about myself.

    The long-term effect on my self-image: I cultivate an identity of discipline and consistency. I do what I believe to be good for me. I build character. Taking small daily actions towards a goal becomes part of my identity.

    What’s more: I avoid the frustration and resentment that comes with procrastination (=not doing what I know I should be doing), and feel good about myself instead.

    Long-term, the benefits of small daily actions always outweigh huge last-minute efforts.

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    #181 You’re never done

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    You can labor for years on a business with little results until suddenly it blows up.

    Then after enjoying your breakthrough, you continue your journey until the next big jump.

    You’re never done building your business.

    You can practice a yoga pose for months with little results until suddenly your body understands, and you’re able to perform it.

    Then after enjoying your breakthrough, you continue your journey of discovery.

    You’re never done practicing yoga.

    You can practice a language for months without being able to string together any sentences until suddenly, your brain understands, and you’re able to speak with ease.

    Then after enjoying your breakthrough, you’ll continue your language-learning journey.

    You’re never done learning a language.

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    #108 The Unexpected Complement

    ByLukas

    Unique value often lies in seemingly strange combinations.

    The beekeeping lawyer.

    The pro soccer player with an astrophysics degree.

    The theologist waking up early every morning to go surfing.

    The public servant spending their evenings performing at the local stand-up comedy bar.

    The motorcycle repair shop owner writing philosophy books.

    The chess champion with a Brazilian Ju-Jitsu black belt.

    Societal pressure and expectations make such combinations unlikely. Out of the ordinary. Maybe even undesirable: an obstacle to conformity.

    And if it’s undesirable, it becomes rare.

    And here’s the twist: what’s rare usually becomes valuable.

    Because there’s nothing incompatible about these combinations – in fact, the skills you practice may well complement each other in unique and valuable ways.

    What could be an unexpected complement for your life?

    Something you’re secretly interested in, but – according to society – doesn’t fit who you are (or who you’re supposed to be)?

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