Accelerating change is the norm.

Accelerating change is the norm. Do not expect the pace to slow down.

Above all do not expect a fallback to the way things were.

The pendulum does not swing back. Society is not a pendulum. We do not know less today than we knew last month last year last decade.

There is no going back to traditional ways—in any area of life.

We cannot go back to traditional families and parenthood and cou­plings.

We cannot go back to industrial-age economics and technology and powerful leadership systems. We cannot go back to small farms and assembly lines and preelectronic environments.

We cannot go back to nationalism and religious or spiritual values.

We cannot even go back to being exclusively terrestrial and human.

We cannot go back to the worlds of ten years ago—let alone the worlds of thirty or fifty years ago.

In the age of rapid change there is no conservative trend—anywhere in the world.

Many decades ago people were also sure that they would go back to extended families and farm life and simple technology and animal trans­portation.

They were sure that the agrarian life would come back. But the agrarian world never came back. It could not come back.

Today too we cannot go back. We can only go forward. Fastforward.

Over fifty percent of the world's population is under twenty-five.

In the United States around 120 million people are under thirty. Their number is increasing every day.

It is this rising age-group that will dominate events in the coming years.

Who are these young people? What kinds of worlds did they grow up in?

First: These new generations know nothing of the Great Depression—the World Wars—the Cold War—racial segregation— patriarchy—puritanism. All these are ancient history to them. Certainly not a part of their emotional reference.

Second: These young generations were born into and grew up in radically new environments: Gender equality—coed dorms—teenage sex—global travel—decentralized authority at home.

They grew up in environments of personal computers and smart machines—interactive telecommunication—replacement body parts— extended life expectancy—extraterrestrial treks—multiplicity of options—accelerating change.

To new generations all this is the norm. The Real World.

These young people have different conditionings than previous gen­erations. Different values and expectations—different orientations to authority and traditions—faster rates of adaptability to change.

Even conservative youngsters start off life from higher orbits than previous generations.

Today's youngsters cannot be forced back or legislated back to the oldworld of sexism—racism—patriarchy—puritanism—lifelong com­mitments—work ethic—leadership—religiousness—nationalism—fi­nite time and space.

"The mind once expanded by an idea can never return to its original dimension—" wrote Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Young generations are not simply expanded by new ideas. Their entire wirings have been set by new environments.

Still younger generations are coming on line launched by the worlds of the 1980s the 1990s and the new century.

Many of those over thirty are also on the move as never before— catalyzed and prodded on by a rapidly transforming world. In fact many of those over thirty will grow progressively more daring as they reach fifty and sixty and seventy and eighty . . .

The remarkable thing about us humans is our ability to adapt and grow.

In the last twenty years we have seen profound changes in all areas of life. Great as these advances have been—still greater advances— more spectacular breakthroughs—more magical worlds are right ahead.

Date: 2015-02-28; view: 806