Two million years ago, early humans already knew how to make hand axes out of stone. A million years later they were still making exactly the same kinds of stone axes. Not exactly what you’d call rapid technological advancement.
Fast forward to medieval times and innovations were happening more quickly, but still it was likely that the son of a medieval peasant would do the same job as his father, using the same kinds of tools.
In the 20th century, technological progress was visible within a single lifetime, with most children doing different jobs to their parents.
Now, in the early years of the 21st century, it’s quite possible that the job you’re doing or the company you’re working for didn’t even exist ten years ago.
If you haven’t yet spotted that technological, cultural and social change is accelerating irreversibly and exponentially then you’re in for severe futureshock in the coming years.
Let’s think forward a couple of decades. Look at what’s changed in the past 20 years – mobile phones, the internet, massive growth in computing power, biotechnology, globalisation – and how this has transformed society – and let’s assume that the same magnitude of change takes place again, but at double the speed. What will the world look like then?
Are you prepared to handle this? If not, perhaps it’s time to start thinking.
What can you do to ensure you survive the future?
- Learn to anticipate and expect ever faster change.
- Embrace the new and don’t get left behind.
- Don’t ever believe we can turn back the clock.