What It Means to be Human in the Era of Disruption and Decentralization.
or what it takes to thrive at a time of disorientation and noise.
The past twelve months remind me of the height of the Covid pandemic. Lots of noise, a sudden rise in so-called “experts”, a wildfire of news that blurs the line between truth and hoax, a conundrum of content that might invoke fear, provide senseless entertainment, or promise the moon and the stars. Except this time it’s all about AI. The news storms that were data science, crypto, web3, Covid, politics, metaverse, and other trends dissipated, and all eyes (and ears) are now on AI. This doesn’t mean those other topics are no longer in existence - they still are. It’s just that mass media has chosen to swim in the sea of artificial intelligence. Sooner or later, the focus shifts to something else.
The human brain can only process one focused topic at a time - there’s plenty of research about it. But since the explosion of the internet, the senses have been receiving what seems like a gazillion-gigabyte of information per second. People are bombarded with stimuli from all directions, through all the electronics we use and conversations we have. It’s no wonder bodies, minds, and spirits grow weary in a matter of hours each day, every day.
Photo by Arthur Chauvineau on Unsplash
The contrasting rally towards better mental health and the deluge of content is one of the biggest demonstrations of a juxtaposition in the 21st century because this very aspect of humanity - mental health - is also targeted for clicks, eyeballs, and sales. Virtually anyone and everyone with a well-functioning brain, smartphone, and internet can build, create, share, and sell anything online remotely. Spaces and domains have been decentralized, to the benefit of the common human. The very technology that’s supposed to have been designed to automate and make humans’ work and lives easier is also sucking the energy out of us.
What do humans do with all this access to information and technology? How can humans thrive in a new world where the very foundations of being human seem to be deconstructed?
A human that is anchored in their essence of being, partnered with the knowledge and ability to use technology thoughtfully would make for a human - the new human as I call it - that thrives in the era of disruption and decentralization. It’s not just AI that’s come - other tech had started brewing in the background, so more is on the way. This means it will benefit humanity if we accept that technology is an essential part of existence now, whether we are tech professionals or not. In the same capacity, humans ought to understand our essence by reconnecting with the mind, body, and spirit.
I suggest building three pillars for humans to thrive and use technology in the current and next century:
Clarify the mind
Clear the fog by doing brain and mind-strengthening exercises such as meditation, mind-training affirmations, and so on.
Learn new knowledge by studying new domains, adding new skillsets, upgrading current knowledgebase, and listening to substantial content that adds value to life and work. This includes the latest in tech.
Nourish the brain and mind with valuable information that’s based on truth and meaningful conversations to decipher truth from non-truth.
Fortify the body
Build a strong vessel for all the great things the body wants to accomplish through various movement routines (yoga, calisthenics, etc.).
Adapt a good set of rest and relaxation habits day in and day out.
Feed the body with food and liquids that cleanse and promote endurance, immunity, and longevity.
Build the aspirational life
Write the aspirations bound in time - what career, relationships, material things, and emotions you want to see in your life over a specific period of time. Include the actions that can be taken towards achieving them.
Start creating in any way, shape, or form. Be it a blog, a platform, a business, a curriculum, or a physical product. This gets the mind and body into the habit of creation and improves the skills in the process.
Build the kind of life you want with intention - instead of letting the news and media dictate your choices, have a deliberate list of goals, boundaries, and intentions that supplement your aspirations and help bring you closer to them each day. This also means saying no to people, things, or events that don’t add value to your aspirations.
Photo by Joseph Decena
These pillars could serve as an anchor to your human truth, so you can make decisions and take actions that are aligned with your aspirations. I hope this takes time and energy away from mindless gadget-holding and internet-scrolling, which hopefully allocates more time to building the mind, body, and spirit connection that allows for a symbiotic relationship between humanity and technology. Before we can even do anything, it is important to understand our basic nature. Taking care of the mind and body creates fertile soil for holistic growth to happen, and truth to be seen in any situation and circumstance.
Fears surrounding AI machines taking over jobs will be a thing of history when humans understand how these technologies work, along with the other disruptions and decentralization happening all around. Learning new skills, let alone big technology and its impact on the lives of humans and the future, is not an easy task, hence fortifying the mind and body is essential in the process of sustainably building a new version of humanity. On the other hand, folks in the tech space building these machines stay anchored in humanity’s essence through their own holistic wellness practice. My hope is that most, if not all, builders of technologies stay anchored in truth, compassion, and ethics as we continue to disrupt our ways of living now and in the future.