Homo sapiens has been on a long
evolutionary journey before arriving at the point which we now find
ourselves. We have arrived at a world that is complex and
interdependent. Making the correct choices is complex but essential.
We need to think in global terms with a long term horizon, and with
the wisdom to know what that horizon may be.
To use 'labels', the epoch we are leaving is the 'modern age' and are
entering the 'digital new age' which has so far lacked genuine
foresight and an appreciation of the non physical side of humanity.
Partly to blame is the human inclination to think in linear trends,
thus to imagine that the future is a logical extension of the past.
Evolution, or its theosophical equivalent, has never worked that way
– there are long periods of little change, then a 'tipping point'
where a critical leap occurs, the result of which is often unexpected
because it does not conform to the old patterns of perception and
behaviour. It is a transition period where the anomalies begin to
manifest at the periphery and witness the implosion of the incumbent
status quo, where current ideas, institutions and beliefs outlive
their usefulness. History is studded with such scenarios which are
most often misinterpreted by historians who attempt to assign cause
and effect without the breadth of understanding of the yet
undiscovered laws which pertain to human progression or regression.
Leo Tolstoy wrote at some length of this phenomenon in his novel 'War
and Peace'.
A future which is highly connected and integrated, decentralised,
technologically advanced, sustainably balanced and non-locally
inter-connected is already apparent in its infancy. This
inter-connectivity is also apparent in quantum science, where not
only the micro, but the macro are inter-connected. This realisation
may hold the key to our survival and socio-cultural evolution. Its
realisation depends on us recognising its importance and acting upon
that knowledge.
As a student of history, I have an optimistic view that the majority
of humanity will prevail despite many attempts at control, ranging
from genocide and enslavement to more subtle economic control through
regulation by elected or politico-corporate cartels. Their demise is
in time assured, when they cease working for the benefit of those
they serve. An acceptance of the primacy of the whole is a
precondition for the survival of the parts. Selfishness is
unacceptable in the longer term. It is not only a moral issue, it is
one of survival.
New models may come from a more horizontal network rather than the
present 'top down' systems which have their limitations in acceptable
adaptation to the changing needs of humanity. The greater
connectivity between people from different parts of the world through
the modern internet is a huge unstoppable catalyst for change,
connecting knowledge, ideas and people personally, regardless of
locality or culture. Propaganda has lost its edge. A precedent in
history in Europe was the invention of the printing press, which
wrested knowledge from the exclusive precinct of the church and
handed it to whoever chose to use it. So it will be with the
internet, despite efforts by some to stop its spread and censor its
content, or use it as a weapon for spying and oppression. Control of
the masses through control of their education is now a strategy of
the past.
Communities become healthy when the intrinsic value comes from giving
rather than looking after only oneself. Re-skilling of the younger
members is becoming something they can do themselves from
collaborative online sources such as open-source software and forums
for dialogue, which lead to innovation on a local level to suit that
community. Local communities may become more economically important
and distinctive as the global economy contracts, producing what they
need closer to home, supported by global technology and
communications. It is about engaging peoples' passions rather than
their fears.
We each can learn to expand our ways of thinking, perception and
action. An evolving consciousness suggests a mind that is aware of
its connectivity, both locally and globally, physically and
non-physically. Unity within diversity may be the theme for the 'new
age'.
