What does the future hold
The older I get the more I realize that the future is quite uncertain. Five years ago I thought travelling the world seemed like a great idea when I retired. However, with natural disasters occurring more frequently that seems like a less good idea now. In a time before COVID I was confident that I had plenty of money to retire, then inflation reared its ugly head and now I'm wondering......Hmmmmm......
However, uncertainty isn't a new thing. Go back in time and I would have told you I was going to marry someone...but that didn't work out. I was going to be single and spend all my time gaming...but that didn't work out. That I was going to have a condo in Manila in the heart of the action...but a financial crisis wiped that out. Over and over and over I make plans only for them to go awry.
And that is perfectly normal!
Sure it is exceedingly annoying and often laced with a big dose of frustration but it is absolutely normal.
Even this morning I went to check in for an upcoming flight to the Philippines and guess what I got?
Waitlisted!
Just another plan delayed
What happens when life changes?
Learn to adapt!
You can grumble. You can complain. You can get angry. You can protest and whine. In the end though people typically just have to get on with life. In that regard I just tend to try and enjoy whatever I'm given. My boss likes to use the quote
Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you deal with itReference: Charles Swindoll
Honestly I do like that quote. But I just follow the idea of :
Hope for the best. Plan for the worst. Enjoy whatever comes your way. Keep on praying and Thank God regardless I like it or not
What happens to me is often something I have no control. Having a positive mindset through it all IS something I have control over. I'd rather be happy or at least not angry wherever possible.
However, I have children. They are just becoming adults and they are looking at an uncertain future in difficult times. They are asking me for guidance about what the future will be like for them. They ask me and I just have to tell them the truth "I have no idea what the future holds". So of course then they ask me "Dad. Your smart. Can you give me your best guess?".
I hate that question. I really do. I hate it because I feel I have an obligation to tell my children the truth the way I see it ..... and the future in my eyes is fairly bleak. Both of my son's are telling me "I'm never going to have children" and that annoys my wife to no end. For me I'm thinking "Might not be a bad idea. Earth is in trouble".
If I want to give my son's the blunt answer I'd say "Son. Your screwed". That isn't very helpful though. It's also not very nice and ultimately of no practical value. To give them my future viewpoint in a less pessimistic and somewhat more helpful way I would give them a little different answer.
As an optomist view of 2050
Of course I want to be optimistic and tell my kids that the future will be great. Honesty it very well may be.
Why am I optimistic?
With a combination of AI, Robotics, and advanced factories it is quite possible to make everything that people need with virtually no people being needed to work at boring jobs. I would hazard a guess that with robotic/automated vehicles and automated farming it would be quite possible that every person would be able to get everything they need without ever having to work.
Add in robust recycling technology and durable equipment manufacturing along with novel building techniques and cohabitation possibilities I believe that it is quite possible that Utopia is well within the grasp of humans.
A home for everyone. Garbage being fully recycled. Food being produced for everyone. Robots getting away from monoculture to promote biodiversity. Public transportation being automated to the point where every person can go anywhere without ever needing a vehicle. Add in renewable energy so that no more fossil fuels need to be burnt and life gets easier and better for everyone.
In a world without want and need. In a world where people work because they WANT to and not NEED to, well, it would be a wonderful world. Add in hyper realistic VR worlds which can be created and the ability to contact anyone anywhere for community and interaction that means people can spend their time exploring art, music, interpersonal interactions and brand new worlds with relative ease.
But I doubt that will ever happen
A pessimist view of 2050
Personally I believe that GREED and POWER will doom society. Add in a large dose of HOSTILITY over past wrongs and ENTITLEMENT among the rich and humanity is in pretty tough shape.
Sure I believe that automated vehicles and AI could make public transportation truly awesome and available. However, as long as people insist on owning their own vehicle and everyone feels entitled to own a car then the day for AI public transit will never come.
But there are more examples than that. Filipino insist that they need to eat rice even its not the best crop for the environment. Canadians and Americans insist on eating a lot of red meat even though the environmental destruction caused in cattle production is leading to huge environmental issues. Many places love their seafood but over harvesting of the oceans is leading to their collapse. Go vegan or at least flexitarian to the point where the earth can keep up with the food requirements and things look good for everyone.....but what are the chances people will give up their favorite foods?
Not very likely
Add on to that all the past hurts in the world between different ethnicities. In Canada the native people hold a deep seeded grudge against the "colonists". Koreans and Chinese hold a grudge against the Japanese. I won't even start to try and figure out about all the different groups that hate each other in the middle east. It would be great if everyone could just say "We Forgive You" and get on with their life in peace. What are the chances that will happen?
Not very likely
People are going to continue driving big fuel guzzling vehicles to show off. Companies are going to keep producing products that are designed to only last until the next design cycle. People are going to keep eating what they want not what they should. The cycle is going to continue until the Earth is left as a husk of what it was.
Or at least that is what the pessimist in me says.
What I'm pretty sure of
Of course what actually happens is probably going to be something I don't truly expect and couldn't plan on.
The only thing I'm sure of is that things will change.
The only thing to be certain of in this life is change
Although I'm reasonably certain that in the future there will be
Less
There will be less food as the environment collapses. There will be less biodiversity as different species become extinct. There will be less harmony. There will be less freedom. There will be less fresh water. Humanity has advanced too far too fast and is using too much. Soon I believe that people find they can't do things the way they always have and there will be LESS than what they are used to.
So I tell my children to :
- Be prepared for the unexpected
- Learn to live small
- Be thankful for the little things.
- Be strong in body, mind, soul, and spirit.
In an uncertain world I want my kids to be able to thrive. Rather than expect a life of luxury, expect hardships and learn to be happy in the situation. Rather than get fat and complacent make sure their bodies and minds are strong to deal with any situations that arise. Add in a dose of living small so that they can be part of the solution and not the problem seems like a good idea as well.
I hope I'm wrong and my voice of doom and gloom is unnecessary. I hope they get to lead an awesome life with wonders I'm never going to see. Then again, if I'm right I hope that they will still be able to enjoy life and succeed where others are floundering because they were unprepared.
Of course that is only my biased opinion. I'd love to get other opinions and I always love comments.
Thanks for reading.