Photo courtesty of The New York Public Library
Here are some things I'm learning, questions I'm asking, and stuff I'm thinking about during this unique time in history.
Beware and be aware of the power of compounding.
Our ideas get expressed through our behaviors. Our collective actions compound and become systems. To have progress, the ideas that are compounding into systems need to consciously and intentionally be for the greater good, not thoughtless inherited.
Systems will always have flaws, but some flaws that are also features should not be acceptable.
Any system will have its flaws. But a flaw is different than a built-in intentional feature. Capitalism is, by its very nature, an exploitative system. Exploitation is not a bug; it's a feature. How can oppression be an acceptable flaw?
Past performance is not indicative of future returns.
Most industries use case studies and prior successes as a way to show a track record. You get to see a track record in the investment world, but always with this disclaimer that "past performance is not indicative of future returns." This kind of disclaimer is both smart and fucked up. But ultimately, it means climates and environments change. It means that conditions donโt stay the same. That last year's losers can be this year's winners. And that maybe change is possible.
Can we incentivize behaviors that will push society towards economic equality?
Human behavior can be manipulated through incentives. Speeding tickets, tax deductions for mortgage interest and tax-sheltered retirement savings are economic incentives. Now with technology giving us more transparency, we also social incentives of like cancel culture. We can't underestimate the power of incentives on human behavior. They work. How can we exploit this to push us closer to equality?
Even if the world will never be fair, at this point in human history, life should at least be dignified.
I support progressive ideas like basic income, universal healthcare and free-education because, without robust social welfare programs, some people cannot build a dignified life.
I understand how costly it would be to afford all human beings the dignity of not being homeless and the luxury of mental health services. But what the hell are we all working on if not progressing towards solving a fundamental human problem like dignity? Why are we making another food delivery app? Why are we thinking so small? How can the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world not afford a dignified life for all of its citizens?