Building a Better Future

Many years ago, I graduated with a degree in political science from Portland State University. Through a long and winding journey working in high tech for companies in Silicon Valley, Seattle, Atlanta, Dublin and Boston, I ultimately moved into the role of being a full time futurist. One of the unexpected things I discovered along the way was how much a futurist studies history.

History has taught us that government policies, laws and regulations often play an important role in creating better conditions for humans to thrive. We see it revealed throughout history, and I expect we will see it many more times in the future.

For most of human history, our standard of living and quality of life was terrible. Century after century it didn't improve - most barely subsisted. Fifty percent of children died before age five, and the average person was not likely to live beyond 30 years of age. This pattern continued for thousands of years without improvement.

Our lack of significant quality of life improvements continued even after significant mileposts like the scientific revolution, the enlightenment, the Great Awakening, and long after the industrial revolution was underway! On average, people continued to live short, sickly, uneducated and miserable lives up and into the late 19th century. What finally changed that trajectory?

I propose that much of the improvements we in the USA experienced in our standard of living from 1870-1970, were largely due to a change in societal thinking caused by events that catalyzed the way we saw the world, and an emerging confidence that we could actually do something to improve our condition. We began to understand the levers that we could pull that would help make human existence more pleasant and rewarding.

In the 1850s, people in the United States were debating things like slavery and abolition, and its moral and humanitarian impact. The country was experiencing a religious revival known as "The Great Awakening," which included a strong emphasis on social justice and social reforms. Many became convinced that our purpose in life was to improve the social conditions of others, encourage temperance, advocate for abolition, women's suffrage and many other reforms. This "awakening" acted as a precursor to the Progressive Era several decades later that advocated for laws against child labor, in support of women's suffrage, public health systems, clean water supplies, and improved sewage disposal methods. All of these debates, discussions, and reforms plus historic events that acted as catalysts, all had an impact on our society's zeitgeist. The way we think.

During the post-Civil War era and the period of reconstruction, the federal government in the US became far more powerful than it was pre-war. This power was demonstrated when during the Progressive Era (1880-1920), many reforms aimed at addressing the problems caused by industrialization, urbanization, and corruption were implemented.

This willingness to reform and act was again demonstrated when during the Great Depression the policies of "The New Deal," established a wide array of federal agencies and programs designed to provide relief, recovery and reform from the economic depression. All of these reforms were the result of humans coming together and developing new policies, laws and regulations to improve the standard of living of their citizens.

Society's biggest problems are often far too large to be solved by any individual or small group. It takes a collective, collaborative societal effort to solve them. It takes us humans realizing our potential, and then acting as creators and shapers of our own destiny.

As we look towards the future, we must develop and maintain a deep appreciation for our collective human experience, and then work together to foster a united front against the challenges we face.