The Case for Change
Our Current Climate and its impact on humanity.
I wrote this awhile back but never published it. I thought it was still worth sharing as my reflections have even more impact now than they did when I wrote it to begin with.
Upon reading the transcript of President Biden’s final address I found myself reflecting on his words and the current climate in which we live. The challenges we face today would be beyond the comprehension of our grandparents and great grandparents.
If I reflect too deeply on the current climate and chaos I become quickly overwhelmed by the weightiness of these challenges.
The current and impending threats are at our doorstep (if not already having covertly made their way inside).
Our Climate & Environment
The climate crisis that has the potential to destroy our planet and even possibly eliminate our existence as a species.
We’ve seen the increasingly severe weather consequences in the hurricanes, droughts, wildfires, and winter weather events. Lives, homes, and businesses are being lost at alarming rates while the ability to recover becomes exceedingly more difficult.
War & Conflict
Humanity remains stuck in the cycles of war and conflict due to positioning for power and control.
People are polarizing and gravitating to more extremist ideologies and actions. Hate spreads as hope and healing dissipates. Large scale overt and covert actions of violence occur at every level and everywhere.
Hunger & Health
Despite advances in technology, science, and research, we have remained unsuccessful at solving many challenges related to hunger and health.
Corporations knowingly keep us hooked on toxic foods and unnecessary medications. Tremendous waste is created daily by a system meant to increase consumption rather than provide supportive and sustainable products. Every day, massive amounts of food that could easily feed the hungry are intentionally destroyed before being thrown away.
Corporate Greed
CEO Assassins are celebrated as heroes by the people but called terrorists by the government. Meanwhile, corporations are causing tremendous harm to humanity while their actions are deemed acceptable and blameless.
Those few who possess the majority of the wealth and power have privileges the majority will never experience. Meanwhile many suffer in toxic workplaces, with terrible managers, and power-hungry leaders, barely able to financially support themselves or their families.
Technological Advances
The advances in AI and its potential to reach the point of singularity by surpassing human intelligence will have consequences so severe they are quite literally unimaginable to us.
(If AI is more intelligent than humans, it could and likely would do things we’ve never even considered) Even absent this existential threat, AI is and will continue to disrupt jobs, the way work is accomplished, and the rate of change necessary to compete.
While AI might be terrifying, nothing worries me more than humanity’s ability to evolve such that we can navigate this changing world.
Whilst many see the current and impending crisis’, many more remain blind to the potential and likely destruction that exists all around us.
Humans (d)Evolving
Rather than evolving and transforming, many humans are reverting to their past primal instincts leaving them stuck in survival states of stress unable to make wise decisions for the future.
When faced with insecurity and risk, fear drives humans to seek comfort from past practices that feel familiar, even if they are actually causing harm. For example, we’ve seen:
A return to commanding traditional dictatorial style leaders sweeping across countries all over the world with a focus on punitive justice and authoritarian policing displacing decades of progress.
A rise of religion and conservative Christian or fundamentalist Muslim values are causing a cultural shift that will leave many disempowered or even disregarded.
A resistance to progressive perspectives embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion by returning to more traditional practices that isolate and inhibit inclusion.
A revival of ethnonationalism and racial hierarchies reinforcing identity-based divisions rather than fostering greater inclusion.
A resurgence of patriarchal family structures and gender roles under the guise of “traditional family values” that put women and minorities at risk of losing their hard-earned freedoms and rights.
A reverse action from human centered work practices by suppressing rights and reviving exploitative and harmful labor models.
Impact on Our Decisions
Today, the majority are making decisions from a state of survival. We react to stressors without fully and consciously considering the wisest answer.
Whether conscious or unconscious our decisions are primarily driven by our innate need to survive not as a species but as an individual.
In our head-based society, business leaders make decisions based on data and numbers rather than values and instinct. They may be logically making more money, whilst also destroying themselves, their people, and our environment in the process.
The more fearful people become the more time they spend in survival and the worse it gets. The more reactive short sighted and individually focused our decisions become.
Any animal that is triggered by fear will fight with a viciousness and determination to survive. As humans, we aren’t typically triggered by predators. Instead we are triggered by trauma and stress that’s stuck inside. Yet they cause us to react in the same way by fighting, fleeing, or freezing to survive.
What can we do?
We’ve created a world with such tremendous technology and innovation it surpasses the future imagined by our forefathers (and even creative writers). Yet, we might possibly also be destroying ourselves in the process.
Whilst this paints a picture of pain, I believe we are not yet beyond the point of no return. Hope for humanity is still possible if we lean into what makes us truly human to begin with.
In a world as complex as the one we’ve built, how we make decisions is more important than ever.
Whether they are decisions about war, AI, our climate, health, leadership, workplace practices, or families, the decisions we make will shape the future of our species.
What an amazing time period to be alive.
But wait, how will we make these decisions?
We must shift beyond our stress filled states of survival such that we can change into a state of thriving. To do so requires us to reflect on what we really think, truly feel, and deeply sense.
To make the best decisions, we must be guided by all our intelligences ensuring the wisest and most ecological outcome.
If we want to progress as human beings in our evolution and survive the world we’ve created for ourselves, we must access our full human intelligences and apply them to today’s challenges.
Only with more humans accessing and applying the full compassion of their hearts, creativity of their minds, and courage of their guts to make wise decisions will we be able to create a better world.
Reflection
Take a few minutes to consider:
In what ways do you see fear and survival-based decision-making shaping our world today? How does it impact your personal choices and the choices of those around you?
Are there areas in your life where you are holding onto past practices or beliefs out of comfort, even if they may not serve you or others? How can you begin to challenge and evolve beyond them?
What does it mean to be a truly compassionate, creative, and courageous human in today’s world? How can you embody these qualities in your daily interactions and larger societal contributions?
Conclusion
The world stands at a pivotal moment—one where our choices will define the trajectory of humanity. We have unparalleled technological advancements, yet our ability to evolve emotionally, intellectually, and socially remains uncertain. If we allow fear and survival instincts to dictate our future, we risk regressing into destructive patterns rather than rising to meet the challenges ahead.
However, there is still hope. We have within us the ability to shift—beyond reaction, beyond division, beyond outdated structures—into a new way of being. It begins with each of us individually: choosing awareness over fear, wisdom over impulse, and connection over isolation.
By consciously engaging our full human intelligences—our hearts for compassion, our minds for creativity, and our guts for courage—we can forge a wiser, more sustainable future.
The question is no longer just about what is happening in the world, but rather: How will you choose to respond? How can you be a more compassionate, creative, and courageous human being in today’s world?