webTree🌳

While @july has never felt more optimistic about the future, I'm slowly veering in the opposite direction.

A few people asked why, so I wrote this short essay.

After years of working with century long time horizons, I'm noticing a shift in my optimism. I believe it partly stems from a paradox around unprecedented global connectivity alongside deepening fragmentation. 

It makes me wonder if our technological ingenuity can truly outpace our collective dysfunction when planetary challenges demand wisdom.

creating and destroying; flying cars, roc.camera, july.rocks

While @july has never felt more optimistic about the future, I'm slowly veering in the opposite direction.

A few people asked why, so I wrote this short essay.

After years of working with century long time horizons, I'm noticing a shift in my optimism. I believe it partly stems from a paradox around unprecedented global connectivity alongside deepening fragmentation. 

It makes me wonder if our technological ingenuity can truly outpace our collective dysfunction when planetary challenges demand wisdom.

https://cyrusclarke.substack.com/p/why-an-optimist-is-slowly-veering

Researcher at MIT Media Lab | Creating futures | https://cyrus.website/info

hopefully the fragmentation is paternalism/harmony splitting. true decentralisation would mean multiple systems. there will always be humans that want something other

cautious optimism is a safe bet imo. it's certainly better than doomerism or relentless optimism 

a younger me was the relentless optimist. the shock from that is worse than picking yourself up out of doomerism