Time Crystals, Cosmic Insight Weavers, and Tractors Moving Backwards

Change is rarely linear. Our ups and downs occur at geometric rates and often spiral creating the perception of an ebb and flow to change. Change is often more about finding balance and tipping points than it is about arrows on a graph.

This issue we are going to look at two drivers of change, forces that balance the pace of change in an eternal game of tug-o-war, Money and Mouth.

You've probably heard the saying, "put your money where your mouth is" or the more colorful "put up or shut up!" People can influence change by both speaking out and by influencing the flow of money. Combined, these forces have the strength to create great change, or to prevent it from happening.

Mouth

People today are not shy about speaking up. I avoid most social media for this very reason. Most of the comments are absurd, inflammatory, and rude. It's like being back to the bullies and teasing in grade school; why would I want to revisit that? But speaking up is a powerful and important tool, and when many voices come together, they can move mountains. Speaking out can create a landslide that gains so much momentum, it is impossible to stop. Speaking is a form of letting others hear your view.

Money

Cold hard cash, on the other hand, is a way of making others feel your view. Spending (or withholding) money puts words into action and quickly gains the attention of shareholders, boards, and governments, as well as each individual, rich or poor. And when you add up all those dollars, they can make or break an organization.

What about tractors?

So the recent decision by Tractor Supply to walk away from DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) and climate pledges should come as no surprise. When groups who disapprove of brands supporting DEI, LGBTQ+, and climate pledges band together to cry out in a single loud voice, brands listen. And when those same voices decide to withhold their money from these brands by boycotting and shopping elsewhere, brands take action. Those actions often include rolling back more socially and environmentally progressive programs.

The CNN article above that reported on Tractor Supply has a great quote by Nooshin Warren :

Tractor Supply is “trying to thread the needle,” said Nooshin Warren, a professor of marketing at the University of Arizona who studies corporate activism and corporate political culture. “They’re trying to keep both sides happy, which usually never happens.... many companies are 'turning back'... it seems that retracting is now the trend.”

Ebb and Flow

Many systems have a balancing effect that appears as an ebb and flow of change. Here are a few examples:

• Support for LGBTQ+ and diversity - overall the trend is up over the last 40 years, but there have been significant pullbacks. In some cases this represents a state of maturity (less need for activism). In other cases, it represents the ebb and flow of social values and opinion.
• Armed conflicts and war: a constant back often leads to escalation (both in fighting and in social sentiment). Soon everyone is dragged into a conflict that may have been ignited by a relatively few people.
• Multilateral alliances such as NATO often go through waves of support and pullback.
• And don't forget natural cycles such as day and night and the planetary seasons. Mythologies, religions, cultures, and even governments and markets all have some sort of ebb and flow related to our natural world, even ones that make no common sense (such as daylight savings - I mean can we please get rid of this!)

This back and forth can be have a positive long term effect as it can strengthen the final balancing point. It can also be traumatic, violent, and discouraging. Look for leverage points and places where you can have the most impact when driving change. Be vigilant too. Change is not permanent and the pendulum can easily swing back the other direction with force. And remember, change is everywhere if you know where to look.

SIGNALS

Glimpses of possible futures across three time horizons

Horizon 1 [H1]: Now | Horizon 2 [H2]: 5-10 yrs | Horizon 3 [H3]: 10+ yrs

1. Time Crystals [H3]: Remember to look to nature (in this case quantum physics) to understand ebbs and flows. In this case, organic oscillation over time. Several media outlets picked up this recent story including Science Alert: "Physicists Create 'Impossible' Time Crystal by Blasting Atoms Into Balloons " which has some important technological implications including possible advancements in quantum computing.
2. Independent Europe with Nukes [H2]: Continuation of U.S. support for NATO and other U.S. commitments with Europe is far from certain. In some scenarios, the U.S. may greatly pull back from its involvement and support. So how will Europe evolve? This article from Politico explores the topic of nuclear deterrence without the U.S. in Europe: "Europe Is Quietly Debating a Nuclear Future Without the US "
3. The Secret Thoughts of Pets [H2]: Squirrel! That is definitely what my pooch is thinking. Scientists are revisiting the idea of consciousness in animals. We tend to revisit this topic every few years with renewed interest, and each cycle we seem to realize more and more that animals are not so different from us, that they have conscious thoughts and emotions. "Are animals conscious? How new research is changing minds. "
4. Your Life Has Been Disconnected or is No Longer in Service [H1]: As we pull back from the constant connectedness and perpetual entertainment of our modern lives, new trends for disconnecting are popping up. Some can be dangerous if we pull too far back. "Raw dogging" for example (the trend of going on a long flight with no entertainment, no sleeping, and no food or water) can be great to detach and detox, except for the lack of water and movement. Drinking water when flying, especially long flights, is extremely important as we dehydrate much faster when flying. What is ‘raw-dogging’ and why are people doing it on planes?

RELATED RECOMMENDATIONS

Books

• The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell - What newsletter about balance and change could be complete without a link to Gladwell's bestseller on change.
• Macrohistory and Macrohistorians: Perspectives on Individual, Social, and Civilizational Change by John Galtung and Sohail Inayatullah - I love this book for looking at the various shapes of change, and would love a new edition - it can be hard to find and pricey. I revisit this text at least once a year.

More Summer Reading...

Bugge Holm Hansen just posted a great summer reading list here which has some good AI and tech recommendations and one that I will definitely be adding to my reading list: A Brief History of a Perfect Future: Inventing the World We Can Proudly Leave Our Kids by 2050 by Chunka Mui

Videos

• What is Futures Thinking? An Introduction - How to Become a Futurist - Session 1 with Sohail Inayatullah - This is an oldie but a goodie and relates CLA (Causal Layered Analysis) with futures thinking.

JOBS

Most of these jobs are in strategy, conservation, and foresight/futures.

• VP of Programs The Farmlink Project (Remote U.S.) - Help fight food waste and food insecurity at The Farmlink Project - "Each year in the United States, billions of pounds of food go to waste. At the same time, over 35 million Americans experience food insecurity." "The Farmlink Project is looking for a dynamic, strategic, and communicative VP of Programs to direct our Food Recovery Program, the cornerstone of our mission. This key leadership role involves oversight of the program's main functions, including Procurement & Farmer Advocacy, Transportation & Logistics, Agency Relations, and Operations, Systems & Data Management."
• Associate Consultant, Sustainability, Energy and Climate Change WSP (U.S. Office or possibly remote) - "WSP USA is looking for talented individuals to join our team as an Associate Consultant to support the company’s growing Sustainability, Energy and Climate Change team. See wsp.com/advancingsustainability for a description of the team and capabilities."
• Senior Director, Board Game Design Hasbro (Pawtucket, RI) - OK, I would have jumped at this job at some other time in my life (our family is very passionate about boardgames - we travel annually to boardgame conventions). But maybe this job is for you! "The candidate will lead our talented game design team in conceiving, developing, and publishing innovative board games."
• Creative Analyst Hard Rock Digital (Austin, TX) - Hard Rock wins the award for "Best Job Description 2024" with this description: "In the cosmic realm of data enchantment, you steer as a Cosmic Insight-Weaver, guiding a luminous chariot through data constellations with algorithmic wisdom."
• Futures Administrators Foresight Inside Group (FIG) - This looks to be an interesting volunteer opportunity for those that want to get some foresight experience.

THE FINAL WORD

And last, as we in the U.S. face yet another political and media circus, I am reminded of when general elections used to be more about balance and less about extremes. This Simpson's clip where an alien, Kang, assumes the form of Bob Dole during the 1996 U.S. Presidential election, show how difficult finding the balance can be. Kang (Dole) tries to win over the voters by finding out what they want, going back and forth on issues until he realizes the unifying force, miniature American flags for everyone!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIgSTjzrmRg

Want More?

I have a lot of ideas, musings, and viewpoints - these are my own and not necessarily those of anyone I work with or for - just saying.

I am always on the look out for interesting topics, recommendations, events, and discussions. Reach out to me if you want to be part of the conversation. You can also read my blog on Medium and contact me on LinkedIn or my website . Meanwhile, keep creating better futures!

Cheers!