Progress vs. Categories

But as you get older, you’re also able to develop more sophisticated, thoughtful, new taxonomies. Why are we putting things in certain categories? How can we develop new ones?

The more static and predictable the world is, the less narrative matters. Historically most businesses followed clear precedents and fit neatly into paths. If starting a restaurant, the potential range of revenue and costs is known. There are few surprises, so it’s easier to look at the current state of the business and know what it will look like ... See more

By rejecting the premise and imagining the future, we can see that yesterday’s solution (ICE cars) is today’s problem (air pollution), which becomes tomorrow’s solution (electric vehicles). Here are a few more examples: Yesterday, processed foods saved lives from contamination and bacteria. Today, processed foods are a major factor in obesity, whic

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The biggest risk to an evolving system is that you become bogged down by experts from a world that no longer exists. The more evolution you have, the more you should expect that expertise has a shelf life.

any picture of progress in society and politics has to involve some progress in how we think and feel: an escape from illusions and delusions, attachments and symbols that no longer serve us well, towards some deeper and more accurate truths. Much of what we count as progress has been a progress in consciousness of just this kind—progress in our kn

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