Dear Class Of 22

Dear Class of 22,

I still remember that feeling of freedom I got on my last day at school.

But I also remember the anxiety from not knowing what the future would hold.

It was great to suddenly be able to make my own choices.

It was horribly too.

I don't think I'm alone here.

Working out where you want to go, what you want to do and who you want to be are not easy questions.

And they are questions that will keep returning throughout your life as your circumstances change.

But I have two suggestions that I think could help you make better choices and live more fulfilled lives.

My first suggestion is this.

#1

I'd recommend you regularly spend time thinking about what the future could look like to help you with the choices you face today.

I believe this is especially important for your generation as you will see change happening at rates that are unimaginable to previous generations.

Rates that are unimaginable even now.

For example, you could be the generation that sees the average lifespan increase into hundreds of years as progress continues to be made in finding ways to irradicate dread diseases like cancer, strokes and dementia.

You may be the generation that communicates using telepathy instead of phones.?Why not??It's already been done for simple thoughts.?

What year will you replace your phone, for the latest apple implant?

In fact, what year will you remove the fridge from your home as, like the fax and countless other devices, it has become redundant??Perhaps it happens when we preserve food using microbes that kill bacteria.?Perhaps it's from genetic modifications.?Maybe it's because we 3d print our dinner.

Could you be the generation that sees the cost of energy, data and even transportation move to zero?

Better to ask what year these things will happen than will they happen at all, because, you see, you are living in a world where you're not simply experiencing one Gutenberg moment. You are experiencing multiple ones.

And they are augmenting, meaning the benefit of one revolutionary change is assisting in catalysing another and another and another.

Consider how transport can change if these statements remain true...

1. Access to the internet continues to increase

2. The processing power of chips continues to follow moors law

2. The size of sensors continues to fall as accuracy increases

3. The capacity of batteries continues to improve

4. The accuracy of algorithms continues to increase

5. The cost of solar continues to fall.

The natural conclusion is that eventually, we will live in a world where transport becomes free.

Don't agree?

Well, think about what happens when we have the infrastructure in place to automate the conversion of light energy into power.

Why should we pay for it?

And if we can achieve this level of automation, where the unlimited energy from sunlight is what allows for the cost of production to tend towards zero, we have moved from a world of scarcity to a world of abundance.

And where you have abundance, we don't need money.

Just as Gutenberg's printing press democratised the sharing of knowledge, you are living in a world where access to energy, water, transport, communication and knowledge is being democratised simultaneously.

How likely is all of this to happen?

Or better yet, what year will this happen by?

I've no idea.

I don't think anyone does.

Humans certainly have the possibility of making everything I've just suggested occur.

We equally have the possibility of destroying everything that's been created to date, including our own planet.

You each have the opportunity to do amazing things, but the reality is your lives will be determined by your collective philosophies.

Which, in my opinion, should be seen as a huge positive.

You see, every time I learn something new about how technology is driving exponential change, I get depressed.

It sometimes feels to me that when things are moving so fast, I no longer have a role to play in the world.

I lose my relevance.

I lose my sense of self.

I end up with too many choices.

I sometimes even wish I was back at school where life was simpler as I was told what to do and how to do it.

But I find remembering the following helps.

Whilst science might show us how things work, it's the humanities that show us how we work within the world.

And this is critical because I can't imagine a world where we outsource decisions about how we should operate as a species to machines.

We will, therefore, still need lawyers to set rules as to who is at fault when an automated accident occurs.

We will still need historians to interpret the past to help us better plan for the future.

And I dare say we will still need politicians to continue implementing policies that improve the lives of all.

Or don't.

Art and leisure, I also suspect, will become more important than ever , as, for many we replace work with recreation and learning.

But whilst the world will change in many ways, I don't think we will.

Us humans will remain as fallible as we have been for tens of thousands of years.

So thankfully, there is still going to be a place for all of you and even me in this exponentially changing space.

But with so much choice, so many opportunities and indeed so many threats, what mindset can help you navigate it successfully?

If I asked a thousand people, I'd probably get a thousand answers.

Grit.?Determination.?Purpose.?Courage.?Helpfulness.?Kindness.?Focus on what you enjoy.

But I think actually there is one suggestion that comes before all others.

I believe if you can add this mantra to your daily life, it will be the catalyst for finding your purpose, your courage and your direction.

And it's this.

#2

Just be curious.

That's it.

Just be curious.

And be curious as often as you can for as long as you can about as much as you can with as many different types of people as you can.

Because being curious opens up a world of possibilities.

It's curiosity that drives us to experiment.

It's curiosity that drives us to explore.

It's curiosity that helps us to avoid becoming arrogant and full of hubris.

It's curiosity that helps us to avoid judging.

It's curiosity that will help you think forward about what an exponential world might look like so you can find your path in creating it.

And in my experience, the curious among us seem to have deeper, stronger friendships.

The logical conclusion is that if you can train yourself to be more curious, I think you will live a longer, happier life.

And finally, if I am right that the world is indeed transforming at exponential rates, there are no limits to where your curiosity can take you.

I wish you all the most curious of lives and the best of luck in your future endeavours.

Col

p.s. if you found this advice unhelpful, I'd recommend you listen to Baz Luhrmann's classic "Everyone is free to wear sunscreen".

p.p.s these notes formed the basis for two valedictory keynotes that I was incredibly honoured to make. Having reread it a few weeks later, I realise this was as much a reminder for me and my generation as it was advice for those that are on the verge of leaving school.

Be curious. Think Forward.

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