Living in the modern world

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The Earth is straining under the unimaginable power of the human civilisation superorganism.

So are most people. Their work is to be a type of cog in the great mechanisation of civilisation. Including founders.

Spread throughout are occasional cogs who enjoy what they do. Often they’ve opted not to be the largest they can be, but to do the most satisfying work they can. Try to channel the craftsman in everything you do.

A small number of important cogs have overwhelming power over the system, especially the cogs who hold people’s money.

But all important cogs (of public companies) must legally seek short term profits or they’ll be replaced. It’s the structural issue that‘s accelerated the great mechanisation of things, externalities, and other systemic problems.

Conflict between nations is also mechanised.

However when up to ~10% the public forms consensus on a topic (which is difficult as they can be mislead and distracted), they can force changes to the mechanism.

Other parts of peoples lives are mechanised too, from the enormous glut of overconsumption.

To holidays.

Cogs often wish they were entertainers. The most successful have more power than ever, more than some large cogs. But our appetite always demands more, and is enforced by algorithms, playoff and publishing schedules, and new trends.

They either serve a small niche of 1,000 true fans, or become mainstream famous (which ends up being annoying) after which they either die and become legendary, or become yesterday’s news.

When there are too many people than there are roles for cogs, slums are made.

The people living their best lives are cogs and entertainers with a bedrock of (enough) wealth and sometimes niche or local status, who work hard, explore their hobbies and network, and live a life of their values with their families.

Maybe they also get into charities to create a positive contribution to something bigger than themselves.

Occasionally there are those with an authentic mission to change the mechanism. Following them seems like an opportunity to break outside it, though whether it works out and how it becomes a new mechanisation is yet to be seen.

Civilisation is a super organism. Like other complex structures, including the cell and the body, feedback loops seem to be a more effective way of responding to problems than centralised control.

What we have to do to become more complex is to include ‘externalities’ in more direct feedback loops.

Democracy is a type of feedback loop for social externalities. The idea is that if enough people are being negatively affected by something, they will be able to change some of the major centres of power.

Activist investors are also a feedback loop, maybe?

We need to do a much better job at building environmental feedback loops. Pollution and environmental degradation need to become a lot more visible to the super organism.

The results must be powerful enough to pass regulation. That will affect profits, and that’s what the financial community prioritises.