We Are Creatures Of Habit

It's in our nature.

Photo by Nik on Unsplash

New ideas are rarely embraced.  This is not a new concept.

Consider Copernicus.  Copernicus published a book supporting the heliocentric theory in 1543.  After many attempts to squash the theory, the Catholic Church finally ended the ban on books teaching the heliocentric model in 1758.  It took 215 years of burning at the stake in vain, 215 years of heresy charges before the new idea was finally accepted.  Denial is nothing new.

Scientists have often suffered the brunt of the blow when humanity learns something new.  They are ridiculed or persecuted for following the evidence.  They suffer because they call ‘em like they see ‘em.  Those who explore other possibilities are repeatedly met with scorn, yet their collective track record holds pretty solid throughout history.

Anyone who has taken even a moment to study history has probably noticed that humans run in cycles.  These cycles affect the micro and the macro.  There is the cycle of life itself, and there are cycles so broad we have to look back in history to find them.  There is a social cycle and there is a generational cycle. 

All of these cycles have clear phases and can make humans and our history seem formulaic and predictable.

These cycles come into play in our everyday life. We are living in these cycles right now; we are becoming history.  According to Strauss & Howe’s theory of the four turnings, we are smack in the middle of the fourth phase. We are nearing the end of a cycle, we are looking for a new beginning. 

Unfortunately, the fourth turning is not the part of the cycle we’d probably choose to be living through, as it is the crisis phase.  I am sure this comes as no surprise; if you’ve seen any news as of late, you’re well aware.

“Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.” This quote from a G. Michael Hopf novel seems to sum it up pretty well.

Weak men have created some hard times.  We are witnessing a well-funded temper tantrum as those weak men grasp to maintain their spot at the top of the wheel. 

But wiser men know wheels always end up rolling and the top is never the top for too long.  Those who have tried to prevent change have repeatedly failed.  Eventually the wheel turns. Eventually the books are un-banned.

Like it or don’t; either way, change is upon us. 

While it is true that we are trapped in cycles, each time we circulate, the specific circumstances are a bit different.  We have never been at this specific intersection.  We have never faced the future with the tools we currently have at our disposal.  

“If we fail to adapt, we fail to move forward.”

— John Wooden

But what does that mean exactly?  How can we catch a glimpse of where we are heading?  Do we have a say?  What should our role be in all of this? 

We are not the only ones who’ve been asking these questions. 

I like this video, which attempts to identify which monumental changes we might see on the horizon.  It outlines what we might consider to be the cornerstones of human development if we were looking back over the past century from the year 2100. 

There are five pillars noted and explored; A.I., Quantum Computing, Synthetic Biology, Nanotch and Blockchain Technology.  As these technologies are all actively being developed, it does seem reasonable to acknowledge them, to consider how they might impact us.

We have access to so much information today, compared with any time in our history.  And the amount of data, the amount of information, is only growing by the minute. How will we utilize these resources that ease our ability to learn more than was ever possible before? Will we discover the collaborative power now available to us?

Yes, there are those who simply want to pretend they can make these approaching changes disappear.  We know enough to know that is foolish.  We don’t need to cycle through another 215 years of denial before accepting the inevitable.

So instead, how do we embrace these changes and make them work for the greater good?  Can we hope to outgrow these cycles as technology, a non-biological force, begins to take prominence?  Can we use technology to evolve beyond the cycles that have trapped us for as long as we’ve been keeping record?

What do you think?