Our future depends on caring
Part 1 of ?
Life is as simple today as it was when it started.
As society evolves, our decisions seemingly become more complex. Technology connects us in new, fun, and fast ways that paralyze choice and challenge us to be present.
I’m guilty.
I stare at screens all day dreaming of the future and cultivating digital relationships. Prioritizing wants over needs makes choices harder and life feel more complex. We made it this way and only we have the power to redefine our future if we make the right decision: to care.
Society’s cost
For many, today’s world might seem to lack caring. Millions go to bed hungry, live in poverty or fear, and the future seems bleak. Some choose hate over love, a decision I believe will cost society.
Children don’t know this choice. Their superpower is being born with unlimited optimism and hope. Children are our future and we need to work every day to be present for them. To show them we care.
Habit of care
Technologists discuss habits as behavior fences that can be climbed with better products or services. Properly identified habits can be changed, leveraged, or monetized for future benefit.
But what if we focused on creating a “habit of care”?
Consider this excerpt from Adam Nicolson’s Seize the Fire regarding Lord Nelson’s fleet in the infamous Battle of Trafalgar:
A ship reflected, in many ways, its habit of care. For Nelson, outstandingly among contemporary naval officers, that habit extended to the well-being of the men he commanded. The mountains of lemons ordered for the fleet, the onions at every meal, the standing as godfather to the children of the wounded, the recommending of positions for men he knew and trusted, the courtesy to the slightest, the punctilious delivery of notes and letters: Humanity to one’s own crew, just like the fastidious upkeep of the ships themselves, was what in the end would annihilate the enemy.
As a former naval officer who spent part of my life at sea, I’m drawn to this intention. Despite modern day complexities of foreign affairs, secret missions, and our equipment, life was historically simple. Though my naval career never achieved Lord Nelson’s fame, habit of care transcends levels of expertise and experience.
Just as it was for yesterday’s mariners, my sailors needed to do something that mattered, then go home to family and friends. Some days we got it right and some days we fell short, but understanding their needs was the key to creating a habit of care. The net outcome was the more we consistently cared about each other, the more success and happiness we achieved together.
A thousands acts
The great thing about being human is that you start each day with a set of choices. Happiness, frustration, health, and despair are daily personal decisions. The way we care for one another isn’t about one act of philanthropy or greed. It’s the thousand acts in between.
Our future depends on caring. By committing to a habit of care, we unlock the childish superpowers in all of us. Through unlimited optimism and hope, we can simplify our choices, focus on being present, and solve the complex challenges of tomorrow.
I will define tomorrow’s challenges in Part 2.
More soon.
— SW
