The Cyclical Nature of History and Memory's Role In the past, there was a sense of faith in institutions and progress. However, over time this optimism has faded as the internet exposed society’s darker sides. William Strauss and Neil Howe's theory from 'The Fourth Turning' suggests that history moves in cycles every 80-100 years marked by crises like wars or economic downturns. The current generation lacks living memory of past crises such as World War II or the Great Depression, making it easier to repeat mistakes.
Gnosis: Understanding How Our World Truly Functions Despite having access to vast information today, we lack deep understanding (gnosis) about critical aspects like essential materials for civilization—ammonia, plastics, steel—and their environmental impacts. Vaclav Smil highlights how modern conveniences are black boxes; people use them without knowing how they work fundamentally. This ignorance hinders productive discussions on future challenges because most don't grasp basic operational principles behind everyday technologies.
Economic Disparities Foretell Major Shifts in Global Power 'The Changing World Order' by Ray Dalio outlines a 250-year cycle where global powers rise and fall due to economic conditions among other factors. Historically dominant empires have shifted from Dutch to British then American supremacy post-WWII but now face potential upheaval again amid growing wealth disparities fueling populist movements worldwide which could lead extreme leaders into power promising solutions amidst perceived decline.