Say It With Charts

Abundance is our future, Peter Diamandis (https://www.ted.com/talks/peter_diamandis_abundance_is_our_future)

A summary, By Simran Singh

  1. Observations and Reflections

  • One of the things Peter Diamandis pointed out that really struck me was that our minds pay attention to negative stories, and that is what media portrays to grasp our attention. 

  • “If it bleeds, it leads”. This speaks so much for the impact anything cynical has on the minds of the viewers- and such stories over the news networks and media is what gets them the views and popularity. This also poses the fundamental question of how much information can be tweaked to bring about this impact on the viewers and balance it just enough for it to retain the actuality of the scenario.

  • The general perception we have from the media is that it presents facts to us just the way they are. But now I ask, does it really?

  • Peter also points that despite all these negativities, we are still living in the most peaceful time- pointing at the convenience and ease of everything readily available to us against say 50 years ago. This is an interesting perspective because we forget to acknowledge the good things we’ve also accomplished because we as humans are so focussed on perfectioning all the ‘bad things’.

  • Technology is a resource liberating source. He spoke about advancements in technology that are taking place- water purification methods that would purify the filthiest of water and saline water and making it consumable. Our biggest concerns for survival are all being tackled one by one because of advancements in technology but we are skeptical human beings who look at the glass half empty.

  • There was a lot of emphasis on looking at the bright side of things. Every invention that is coming up is built keeping the masses in mind. There is abundance being created just as fast as technology is emerging.

  • This abundance need not be created by professionals or people who’ve been in the industry for too long. Students are just as capable of impacting lives as any other professional, because technology is emerging to be such a tool friendly for all to use.

  • There is a shift towards taking what was scarce and making it abundant- a life full of positivity and possibility.

    2. How does the idea grow and survive?

  • I genuinely feel that there is a need for all people to look beyond the existing problems even if it is only to have more hope for a bright future. It is understandable that the growth in the global population has given rise to resource depletion but it is not like there are no efforts being made to have enough, if not abundant amounts of necessities for all.

  • Peter beautifully compared his observation of people actually working on a sustainable future, whether or not most of us choose to see it and it worked because this dose of a positive outlook gives all hope and motivation to work for the future.

  • The increase in the average human lifespan, average per capita income; reduced costs of living and commute are all positive indicators proving his idea. This trend can be taken forward if people become a little less skeptical and a little more positive.

3. Emotions Felt

  • While population is posed as a problem, it is not like people aren’t consiously making efforts and decisions to tackle that. However, the problems seem to overpower these efforts and nobody seems to consider that there is hope at the end of the tunnel. 

  • This reminder to people is absolutely necessary, building each other up than bringing each other down. Technology, if put as a ‘liberating force’ gives the full fledged potential for us all to explore endless possibilities and cater to problems.

  • Peter posed the simple example of a mobile phone in today’s date being smarter than a supercomputer of the 70s. This solely was enough to remind me how much progress the world is making and it is all happening at such a pace that we are not sitting back to appreciate the efforts being put into these things.

4. Personal decisions influenced/changed as a designer

  • I can thoroughly agree that abundance directly brings increasing possibilities, if we’re willing to look at things that way.

  • Keeping Moore’s law in mind, we can all believe that Information technology experiences price performance doubling every 1-2 years- which means that no matter what be the scenario, technology will continue to emerge exponentially and solutions will also be developed accordingly. It is on us to choose whether or not to actively participate in these changes.

  • There is an additional lens to look at things with a different perspective in mind while I, as a designer would design a suitable solution. I would want people to encourage it or at the very least look at the bigger picture of there being possibility of something helpful in the future than bugging on the fact that resources are depleting.

5. Ideal Situation

  • Moore’s law- the exponential curve should keep growing the same way with the world’s overall growth.

  • There should be less pressure on depleting resources and more active efforts on trying to save them with our technology at hand so that there is enough for the future. 

  • There is really a need for us all to believe that there is a possibility for a sustainable future and a healthy environment for us to live in, an optimistic view on things, believing that things have indeed become easier and more convenient for us over the past few decades and that it will continue to be this way!