Realities of a new world
Close observation of recent turn of events in just the first month of 2020, would have you thinking that this is turning out to be an eventful year. For the casual observer, these events have little self-impact whereas the keenest of mind will understand that major shifts are taking place. These trends are only just beginning to affect the contemporary ways of conducting business. Capturing headlines and sending fear of apocalypse is the Coronavirus epidemic which appears to be blowing out of proportion despite lockdown efforts in Wuhan, China. The outbreak is bound to send shockwaves across the globe resulting in sustained economic damage for the foreseable future.
In an already weakening global economy, any black swan events will test the fragile financial system in it’s last gasps of breath. The Chinese central bank injected 800 billion yuan just recently to salvage banks and business in China impacted by the outbreak. This mammoth injection of funds is only paralleled by similar efforts by Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank and the US Fed to keep the failing system propped-up artificially.
Emerging trends
Beneath all the noise, significant trend changes are taking place. The following are the trend that you should be aware of:
- delivery of products and services directly to your home – wide array of solutions currently available
- reduction in mandatory working hours and emergence of flexible work arrangements – work from home culture goes mainstream and becomes the norm
- drone technology enabled monitoring and delivery systems
- greater adoption of home-schooling and e-learning platforms
- migration of investments from traditional instruments into frictionless and cost-efficient technologies like cryptocurrency
- rethinking of healthcare delivery by wider adoption of virtual consultations, remote monitoring, artificial intelligence enabled robotic care provision
- transition from traditional & electronic banking to decentralized finance
- virtual meetings and social gatherings with the use of augmented reality and holographic image technology.
- greater erosion of individual privacy through digital surveillance
The technology stack to support most of these trend are already currently available. Triggering events such as the above will foster adoption at a scale that our brains may not be able to comprehend fully. Common theme for the list above relates to the greater need to react better to impending and future outbreaks or geopolitical tensions. Expect China to spearhead the development and deployment of these technologies faster than any other country.
Survival essentials
The pace of change is moving faster. Every day, the complexity of the world we live in moves up a few notches. It becomes incredibly impossible for the human mind to fully comprehend and sift through all the information that is being continuously generated. An essential trait that a survivor needs is to adopt continuous personal improvement. Much of the decision making will likely be supported by artificial intelligence, allowing the individual to sift through enormous data points and make choices that are assisted by the machine. Utilization of personal time has to shift from purely pleasure seeking activities to a healthy mix of personal learning and enriching experiences.
A complete revamp of the financial system will push the individual to abandon unhealthy consumerism based lifestyle and become more financially literate with a bevy of solutions available to them. Failing to change will result in complete financial catastrophe. Understanding of blockchain technology combined with it’s application within decentralized finance will be critical. This will be the hallmark of a financially sovereign individual.
The language of the future has to be spoken with machines. Without discrediting the importance and continued value of communication between humans, a certain degree of coding knowledge will become necessary within any industry. Rather than turning everyone into a programmer, this idea stems from the need to possess the know-how and skills to automate and connect separate digital systems that the individual interacts with routinely. As a consequence, the individual will be left with more time to engage in critical thinking and creative pursuits.
Health moves to the core of decision making for the survivor. The very habit of eating will be seen as an activity to fulfill basic biological requirement instead of the current misplaced notions of consumption. More and more people will demand food quality and safety over quantity. Specifically locally grown fresh produce would make greater sense compared to pre-packaged items from half the world away. The survivor needs to take greater responsibility for their health as the state’s ability to fund healthcare will diminish gradually.
Governments will acquire or may have acquired the capability for mass surveillance. As Internet of Things brings about Internet connectivity to virtually every consumer electronics products, the individual’s movement is opened to tracking. Elimination of physical cash and the move to central bank issued digital currencies (CBDC) could be the final nail in the coffin. Complete erosion to individual privacy will be justified as the small sacrifice that needs to be made to allow better law enforcement and elimination of crime. This narrative is a dangerous one as the same information can be utilized for racial or political discrimination. Avoidance of this dystopian future is only possible by opting out of the system today. The survivor needs to adopt an alternative financial system beyond the bounds of control of any government.
The future is now
Each day marks the renewal of the individual from a biological stand-point. Yet, the same can be said if one seeks to become a better version of themselves through progressive tinkering and experimentation in all aspects of their life. What better pleasure is there than seeing yourself attain wonderful new heights and accomplishing all of your personal goals? A plethora of evidence in support of this available but are you ready to learn? The change has to start from today if you want to improve your chances of survival. Period.
