Going Backward Instead of Forward

I've been saying for many years that we won't be able to enjoy all the innovation without doing something about our egos - here is an example ...

When Hubris Overrides Everything Else

After decades of struggling to find climate-friendly alternatives to coal, Europe is forced to return to it after Russia cut its gas exports in retaliation for Europe’s sanctions against it. In a matter of weeks, years of work have been undone. Although this is supposedly a temporary measure, no one can say when gas supplies will be restored. And why has all this happened? Because of hubris. The technology is there, the resources are there, but the greed and resentment are also there, and when these are present, they always win. The only thing we need to fix in order to restore prosperity is to stop exploiting each other and the planet.

Since we can't overcome our hubris, Russia is losing money because it stopped selling gas to Europe. Europe, too, is losing money because it cannot buy cheap gas, and will pollute the air because it will reopen coal-fired plants.

There is also an abundance of semiconductors, but since some companies bought stocks of them in advance, the rest of the world is fighting for the scraps. As a result, prices are rising the world over, production and shipments are heavily delayed. Countries that want to protect themselves from other country’s selfishness are forced to start manufacturing what they need for themselves, if they can.

Now, for no other reason than unbridled hubris, humanity is being set back decades, if not centuries, as some of the most technologically advanced countries have to choose between electricity from coal or no electricity at all.

The Danger of Unbridled Hubris

Globalization has been good for us. It provided abundant cheap supplies of things we could not produce ourselves, or at least not at an affordable price. Now, for no other reason than unbridled hubris, humanity is being set back decades, if not centuries, as some of the most technologically advanced countries have to choose between electricity from coal or no electricity at all.

Even worse, that same hubris is causing massive shortages of wheat. What if the climate in a particular country is unsuitable for growing wheat? Will people in that country be forced to turn to cornbread or potatoes as a source of carbohydrates? Will they have to switch to a protein based diet and live on meat?

We can make the coming years peaceful and very prosperous for many types of companies. But for this to happen, we have to turn our focus from cleaning the air, the water, and the ground, to cleaning our hearts from resentment of each other. The toxic energy between humans pollutes and kills more than all other pollutants combined.

And what if this crisis spreads to the transportation sector? The semiconductor crisis has already affected manufacturing. What if other essential elements are delayed, as well? Would we return to horse and carriage? Can we even do that?

And what about medicine? How can humanity provide adequate medicine without instruments that are manufactured all over the world, and without effective shipment?

If we are wise, we will use the reopening of coal-fired plants as the canary in the mine, and wake up. This latest development will have a massive impact on the business world. It's a warning sign that we have no choice but to start cultivating truly positive relationships if we want to continue to thrive here together. Because we're not designed to go backward. We're designed to go forward. And everything happening in the world is for accelerating our progress, but we're not reading the signs properly. We don't even understand what the game is yet.

We can make the coming years peaceful and very prosperous for many types of companies. But for this to happen, we have to turn our focus from cleaning the air, the water, and the ground, to cleaning our hearts from resentment of each other. The toxic energy between humans pollutes and kills more than all other pollutants combined.