On the Cusp of the Age of Abundance
The idea of an Age of Abundance
A powerful idea throughout history has been of a society free from divides between rich and poor, where everyone has access and rights to the same plentiful resources.
The thoughts and ideas around such a society have varied through the ages. In some societies at certain points in their history, there have been strong beliefs that such a society will surely come in the future.
While at other places and times, people have believed in a mythical age when humanity as a whole or their particular nation or tribe had been fortunate to experience such a time.
Myths and Experiments
"Ram Rajya" is one such concept which has a strong connotation in contemporary Hindu nationalism in India. The belief is that the mythical king of Ayodhya, Lord Rama, who was also an avatar of Lord Vishnu, brought about such a kingdom and age when he ruled in Ayodhya in the Dwapara age.
There are other religious traditions as well which talks about the myths or promises of such societies.
Even in non-religious thinking, there have been ideas and thought experiments dreaming about such societies. Utopia written by Sir Thomas More in 1516 is such an egalitarian fictional perfect society where everyone is equal and all resources are plentiful.
Political theorists have also tried to theorize how such societies could be brought about. Democracy is an attempt to bring about such a society by giving all citizens equal rights to decide their future.
Even though it's counter-intuitive, the idea of socialism which led to the communist movement, also wanted to create an equal society where the proletariat would be equal to the bourgeoisie and all of society's production would be the property of all.
We all know where these experiments have taken us. None of us yet live in such a society.
On the Cusp of the Age of Abundance
However, I, like many others have started to think that such a society, such an age may indeed become a reality.
We may really be on the cusp of the Age of Abundance.
An age when people will be paid just for being, or for doing things they love to do, all through crypto-currencies.
A time when machines will do the work and people will be free to pursue better things. Machine learning and artificial intelligence will change the way we work.
There are a number of other ground-breaking technologies like genetics (CRISPR) which promise to eliminate diseases.
The list of such technologies is now almost unending: 3D printing, VR, quantum computing and many more.
One thing is for sure, our civilization is going through a technological revolution like never before and even our wildest imaginations will fall short of the changes technology will bring about.
Fork in the Road
However, I do not think, all these technological changes mean that the Age of Abundance is a surety, that it's a given and only a matter of when and not if.
It's far from it.
Technology can either ruin us or save us.
All the thinkers and dreamers, builders and practitioners of these technological changes have to come together and ensure that our future world truly becomes beneficial to all of society, that it will be an Age of Abundance for all.
There are practical roadblocks and historical lessons which make me skeptical.
Think about the promise of nuclear energy from the fifties, of it providing free electricity to all. Even after several decades, we are far from it, in fact, there is an increasing anti-nuclear movement with at least two major nuclear disasters which were never supposed to happen (Chernobyl & Fukushima).
There is a genuine risk of artificial superintelligence ultimately turning out to be detrimental to human society.
The transition to a world run by machines will bring about societal upheavals and mass unemployment. How we get past such disruptions will impact our future of abundance to a large extent.
We do not yet know how governments across the world will respond to technological changes. Some nations may accept changes quicker than others which can lead to disparity leading to the continuity of differences among societies.
Imagine an Age of Abundance
Nevertheless, it's an exciting future up ahead, an exciting time to actually be alive. In spite of talking about the roadblocks, which I think is very important, I remain positive and hopeful about our future.
I hope I live to see the true Age of Abundance where everyone is happy and content.
No war, no social divides.
Imagine.
References
http://bigthink.com/think-tank/are-we-ready-for-the-coming-age-of-abundance
https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/01/artificial-intelligence-revolution-1.html
https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/01/artificial-intelligence-revolution-2.html
Goodies: Benefits for You (Referral Links)
Sell Votes on SmartSteem
Get Followers and Upvotes on SteemFollower
Get Free Crypto Coins
Click on the banners to learn more about each community
I think this is one of the most important issues humanity faces right now, and I do appreciate your post. Indeed no one has come up with a solution. However I do believe Steemit and, no doubt, other similar platforms yet to come are on the right track. I see what I like to call "Cooperative abundance" beginning to be an accepted means of lifting, encouraging and sustaining each other while at the same time celebrating the individual and their contribution to Steemit. However, and this in my mind is a huge "however", like the wise say (was it Einstein who said it?) : you can't solve a problem on the same level of consciousness that the problem was created. (not a verbatim quote, but close). So what I am thinking is that humanity will make an evolutionary leap, and soon I hope, that will raise us to a higher level of consciousness. There are many, who have done the individual work within and are already on the Path so to speak. I do not know if we must all be enlightened but certainly there must be a shift raising us above the age-old survival instinct that chains us to our egos and to the mad need to dominate each other an nature. How might this leap in consciousness occur? Well, I am, what...a Dreamer, just like Lennon, but more than that. I believe that there is an Intelligence, a Power in the Cosmos that will lift us. But there seems to be a law that functions in Nature: for something new to be created, the old, from which it rises must first be destroyed. Which thing we see constantly around us. Take a breath... this "creates" or sustains life, but it changes or destroys, if you will, oxygen into carbon dioxide. And within the body processes occur that use energy from nutrition for instance to create cells and life. Anyway, you get the picture. So are we not Nature, is not the earth and all cycles upon it, even those of humans cyclical? Is it not time for a transformation of what we are and have been into something else? Will it be necessary to destroy what we have been in order to create what we will be? Frankly, I have no hope that humanity can take this leap from the same level of consciousness we now are in. Sure some of us are there already, but the transition to a world of peace, abundance and freedom will not come without a transformation of human consciousness. Blessings upon your head. Keep it up. Resteemed and following.
Thanks for visiting and taking time out to share your thoughts. I also believe humanity needs to evolve out of what we are now in order to reach such levels of cooperative abundance. However, I do not think there is any cosmic power which will lift us to do it. I believe we will have to figure it out on our own, if not our very future will be in question.
Great post. I'd love to see the age of abundance too. I'm just afraid people are too imperfect to make a perfect world.
Yes, that's the reason in a nutshell I guess. We are not perfect. We often make mistakes which have dire consequences.
Lol at first I thought you were going to take a page out of @taskmaster4450 but you made it all yours.
Indeed there will be a major paradigm shift and the blockchain technology will be right in the middle of it.
technology might save us or kill us off indeed.
Good to see you here @maverickinvictus. @svkrulze makes a pretty good post doesn't he. But I agree there must be a paradigm shift. I'm going to comment directly to him. Read if you get a chance. Blessings.
Congratulations! This post has been chosen as one of the daily Whistle Stops for The STEEM Engine!
You can see your post's place along the track here: The Daily Whistle Stops, Issue # 85 (3/26/18)
The STEEM Engine is an initiative dedicated to promoting meaningful engagement across Steemit. Find out more about us and join us today!
I always believed that 3d printers were one of those invents that should revolutionize the world but there's always something preventing it. Now cryptocurrencies are also there, trying to breach like a possible life choice but it still seems so foreign to most of the people, we can just raise awareness of it and hope for the best.
Thanks for sharing! This was really interesting!
yeah, I think the road ahead is bumpy... there is a good chance that things will turn out well but you never know
thanks for visiting
Your well thought out post is right up my street @svkrulze - I believe peace and abundance is truly obtainable.
It is, it seems, a matter of applying the right means for us to get the better of those beastly remnants still part of our subconscious makeup - those near instinctive motivational structures residual in us from the days we were shaped out of clay, so to speak, that become active in certain situations and either turn us into monsters going at one another's throats, or at a more subtle level, have us become devious exploiters of one another's weaknesses.
Some call those structures demons, but in fact they are powerful neurological pathways and endocrinal functions that are very much part of us and that under various circumstances cause us to act in ways that are counterproductive to us obtaining the ideal lifestyle you describe.
Some individuals do succeed in "chaining the devil down", as it is said somewhere in the scriptures and there are many disciplines and spiritual teachings to this end. And yes, trust in trustless transactions that are made possible by distributed ledger technology and the decentralization of power that can come from that can be powerful tools against the spiritually destabilizing factors prevalent in our current situation.
But it ain't gonna be no easy battle dethroning the sociopaths that are masters at utilizing these ancient structures to their own advantage and getting the means by which a fair distribution of wealth is possible in place, as well as educating the masses to a level where peaceful coexistence can actually work.
I love your positive attitude - thank you!