Decentralization, Blockchain & Human Potential Realization

Charles Hoskinson, founder of Input Output (IOHK) and the #cardano Blockchain, often speaks of the inner work he does to stay centered and open to growth (vipassana meditation, fasting, even his podcasts have a therapeutic feel to them as they give him the opportunity to process and make sense of the craziness surrounding the industry).

I have become a fan of Charles' vision, the methodical, research-based approach that #cardano has taken and his commitment to self-governance and #decentralization . At the Cardano Foundation summit last year, he had this to say about the importance of #listening to ensure the long term sustainability of the ecosystem:

“The thing we must master is to listen. The reason why governance is so difficult at its core is that we overvalue speaking and undervalue listening. If this is truly going to work it’s not going to rest on our great tech. We’ve already proven we can do that. It’s not going to rest on the great community. We’ve already proven we have that. What we haven’t proven, and in some cases haven’t done so well on, is that we can listen to each other. That’s going to be the hard one. That’s the one we are all going to have to work on, myself included”.

It’s the mature perspectives and high ethical standards that attracted me to the Cardano ecosystem. Although I don't have much to contribute technically, I do have years of experience in the field of human potential development. Intuitively, I know there is an important connection between the Cardano vision and ethos, and the importance of personal development, mastery & maturity.

In this article I want to explore some of these first impressions and offer ideas how my work with BEING at Full Potential connects with the purpose of Cardano and might support its growth and continued decentralization in the future.

1. Change is needed: We have reached the limit of how effectively we are able to address societal challenges with the current playbook. In other words, continuing to "outsource" our problems to policy makers, large corporations, government institutions, and "experts" is no longer a model we can blindly rely on to navigate our way through these uncertain times. We are being invited to co-create new systems of governance and cooperation that will ensure a fairer and more sustainable future for all.
2. Decentralization promotes freedom & innovation but it can be messy: The advance of blockchain technologies brings immense possibilities for individual empowerment and innovative breakthroughs. For example, it has the potential to bank the unbanked, connect the unconnected and be a catalyst for solving some of the biggest challenges we face in the world today. Moving away from centralized forms of governance puts power back in the hands of the individual. This is a beautiful thing and key to unleashing Human Potential. However, it only works if we are willing and able to assume this level of responsibility and commit to a journey of personal mastery.
3. Decentralization and maturity go hand in hand. The path to creating a highly functional decentralized ecosystem is as much a technical challenge as it is a human one. I would even hypothesize that there is a correlation between the collective maturity of a community and the extent to which it is truly decentralized. In other words, if the people responsible for developing and designing the blockchain ecosystem embrace the fundamental notion that humans are created equal and are infinitely resourceful, responsible citizens, then it goes without saying that they will take great care in developing a blockchain system that truly serves the needs of the community rather than their own (as laid out in the map below).

4. How BEING at Full Potential can help: For the past 10 years, we have been working towards a vision where every human can realize their greatest potential. Many great tools, like the Maturity Index (see below) or Human Potential Assessment, have been developed and proven to deliver great insight for individuals, teams and organizations who understand the importance of inner work as a means to achieve external impact.

Without significant shifts in how we see ourselves, the challenges around us and the unique contribution each one of us can make to build this new future, advances in technology will not yield much return. This is why unleashing unexpressed Human Potential, on a large scale, is critical to awaken and harness the creative power that lies within each one of us.

Over the years we have evolved into a full-fledged portal for Human Potential Development (see below) where people can not only measure their potential & maturity but also access a multitude of resources and exercises that support their growth & development. Looking to the next 10 years we are on a mission to scale our impact by democratizing access to these transformational tools and making the journey of self-realization as practical and enjoyable as possible. I don’t yet know how but I envision bringing this work on the #cardano blockchain. I’m keen to better understand what this could look like and who I could collaborate with.