10 Things Everyone Should Understand About the Future

Trying to predict the future is a risky business; even the experts more often than not get it wrong. (I would be remiss in not quoting Yogi Berra’s “It’s tough to make predictions, especially the future,” as it is unquestionably the smartest thing ever said about futurism.) Figuring out what kind of gadgets we might be using in the years ahead isn’t too difficult (although I’m still waiting for my jetpack) but anticipating the stuff that really matters (people and relationships) is virtually impossible. Some futurists of a century ago saw television, smart devices, and what would be called the Internet coming, for example, but none that I know of predicted the civil rights or feminist movements that reshaped society as we know it. The prospect of an African-American President of the United States or a female Vice President would have been considered absurd in the Roaring Twenties, even among the most prescient.

Still, there are some ideas and events now in play that I believe will be instrumental in shaping our individual and collective futures. Much of tomorrow appears to be about a tension between opposing forces — not so surprising as the most dynamic parts of life tend to be rooted in some kind of tension or conflict.

Use these 10 meta-trends as fodder to consider in charting out your professional and personal path or as a planning tool for your organization.

1. Acceleration. In case you haven’t noticed, time is speeding up, or at least our perception of it is. Change is the only constant, of course, and our escalating pace of life is the basis for a world in ever-increasing transition. Prepare yourself for the faster-than-a-speeding-bullet kind of velocity that is to come.
2. Me vs. us. While negotiating one’s self-interests against those of others has been a mainstay of the human condition, the challenge to strike a balance between what’s best for “me” and for “us” appears to be intensifying. Look out for #1 within the larger context of thinking about how you can make the world a better place.
3. Holism. An evolution in mind, body, and spirit is in the works as a kind of 360-degree philosophy bubbles up from the margins. Many are seeking intellectual growth and physical pleasures while at the same time asking the big questions of life, not a bad formula to adopt for those with the energy and resources to do so.
4. Haves vs. have-nots. Sadly, economic inequities are more the rule than the exception around the world, and disparities appear to be growing rather than shrinking. While the middle class is expanding in some countries, the gap between rich and poor is overall getting even larger. Do your part to help bridge the gap if you can.
5. Global consciousness. The world has been getting effectively smaller for centuries, but the pandemic has put that meta-trend into overdrive. The awareness that all of us are somehow indelibly connected is potentially the most powerful idea in history. If you haven’t yet embraced the creed of thinking global but acting local, do so ASAP.
6. High-tech vs. high-touch. The digital and analog worlds are at war with each other, and no resolution is in sight. There is a symbiotic, co-dependent relationship between the virtual and real universes, and the two will no doubt continue to feed each other. Approach this duality as synergistic rather than mutually exclusive.
7. Power to the people. Huzzah! Our decades-long loss of faith and trust in large institutions is leading to an abundance of “bottom-up” thought and action that is rapidly eclipsing top-down structures. Word of advice to the cultural elite: Side with the people or risk the metaphorical guillotine as the masses storm the gates.
8. Cultural vertigo. Many of us are feeling not unlike James Stewart’s character in the film Vertigo — psychically shaky due to the inescapable sensation that the world is spinning out of control. Nautically speaking, gain a sense of stability by charting your own course and being the captain of your own ship.
9. Man vs. machine. The distinction between what is human and what is mechanical is becoming increasingly unclear, and we’ve only just begun to experience this man-bot mash-up as automation marches forward. Until we start working for them, let’s use machines to help us be more human.
10. Humanism. To that point, humanistic values are in ascent as a robust countertrend to the de-humanizing effect of digitalization. Kindness, empathy, and compassion are making their presence known in everyday life, a reassertion of our best attributes as a species. Seize the humanistic day to help make our future the best it can be.