"Next time let's leave out brains."
- cartoon from 1960's showing two amoebae speaking to each other after a nuclear holocaust that destroyed all other living creatures
I can imagine a current cartoon showing these same two creatures saying the same thing if and after the financial markets of the world completely implode.
If evolution is the process of a species evolving to more effectively interact with the environment for the enhancement of all living creatures and natural resources, then is it possible that the industrial revolution marked the downfall of evolution in favor of a short sighted and biologically short-lived, survival -and thriving -of the fittest?
Is it possible that the industrial revolution shifted human beings from being interdependently in balance with and generative and restorative towards nature to becoming in the end conspicuously consumptive and believing they could do so with impunity?
If these are so, then rather than taking a 30,000 foot view of the financial system, the time has come to take a 30,000 mile view of Earth as a "living system." If we viewed it from that distance, what might we see?
In 1978, biologist, systems scientist pioneer, originator of the term "behavioral science" James Grier Miller published his 1102 page magnum opus, Living Systems. In it, he made a compelling and convincing case for the commonality shared by all living systems ranging from the simple cell through phylogeny to human beings to societies and ultimately to supranational (a.k.a. global) systems.
The conclusion to be gained from this... in order for any and all living systems to thrive, much less survive, the processes between societies, nations, individuals need to work interdependently for the benefit of the whole as much as the elements within a single cell need to do for it to survive.
To that end, the time has come for all nations and societies of the world to take that look from 30,000 miles and develop a shared vision of a future in which all living creatures and natural resources interact in a way that guarantees the future of all.
Resources to give you more perspective, more success and more peace of mind:
- The Great Manager's Key: The Guide to Better Decisions February 24 webinar with Dan Ariely. Dan is on of the top thinkers and researchers in the area of behavioral economics and in his landmark book Predictably Irrational and this webinar you'l discover just how much your rational decisions are anything but that.
- Succession: Are You Ready? (Memo to the CEO) just released book by Marshall Goldsmith as sequel to his mega best selling book: What Got You Here Won't Get You There Marshall's entire approach has been to be aware of and take into consideration your effect on others if you want to maxize your performance.
- The Three Laws of Performance: Rewriting the Future of Your Organization and Your Life just released top ten best selling book by Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan that shows you how when you change the way the world occurs to you, you change the way you interact with it. For instance the world occurs to me as if Mother Earth is screaming out to be heard by all of us to stop squandering her limited resources.
- Tribal Leadership by John King, Dave Logan and Halee Fischer-Wright is the best blueprint for building a company, organization or society that functions and succeeds as an "all about we" vs. "all about me" tribe.
- Financial Darwinism: Create Value or Self-Destruct in a World of Risk by Leo Tilman offers a lens through which to see how and why the financial markets are acting the way they are and one of the best guides to move ahead, survive and thrive.