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Is American society progressing or regressing? It’s hard to tell.
My wife and I face similar uncertainty about our parenting. Late at night we hold each other, sharing quietly. “I think I helped Reuben master the letter ‘G’ today,” my wife says.
“Neat! But as they learn more, the kids get more independent and difficult to direct. I felt so frustrated with Rayden being hard-headed earlier, I yelled at him,” I admit. “I know I shouldn’t.”
Twenty years from now, we’ll know whether we did well enough as parents. In the meantime, we hold each other, collaborate, and hope for the best.
There’s plenty of evidence illustrating social progress and problems, as well. See social progress in humans getting smarter (our IQ is rising), the economy growing, and lifespans extending.
See social problems in weak schools that may hinder students’ ability to get smarter as complexity rises. Slower economic growth than our parents experienced. And the shortest (American) lifespan in the developed world despite the highest spending on healthcare.
Both positive and negative views are factually correct. As we apply technology to solve today’s issues, we increase complexity. In turn, cultural, government, and economic systems deliver more-challenging problems. We don’t know if we’re solving old problems faster than we’re creating new ones.
Leaders should not be complacent with insights, tools, and strategies that solve yesterday’s problems. Tomorrow’s problems are already here.
As you go through your day, identify some of tomorrow’s problems for which you will need new approaches. You’ll have a head start on everyone else.
How satisfied do you feel with American progress on cultural, governmental, and economic issues?
Please also share your thoughts in the comments or by sending me an email: info@RodWallacePhD.Com.
Our society cannot just survive. For the sake of our children, it must thrive.
Rod
Dr. Rod Wallace is an economist, consultant, and speaker who helps businesses make more money by solving society’s problems. A Fulbright Fellow, he has led multi-organization billion-dollar initiatives worldwide and partnered with a Silicon Valley pioneer to explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence on society.
Rod speaks about how to integrate social responsibility into business to maximize profit and purpose. He highlights digital technology’s impact on society and the strategies and tools with which business can solve our big, systemic problems.
Contact Rod at info@RodWallacePhD.com.