The Great Reset

Photo by Tom Grünbauer on Unsplash

The saying “Let them all die. It’s just what has to happen.” albeit extreme can feel like a pretty accurate depiction of America’s current approach to healthcare. I wish this problem was limited just to healthcare, but really it’s not.

The consequences are dire and times like these have illuminated a disappointing reality. Our failure to mitigate, plan for, and prevent widespread illness and inequality is a direct result of an inadequate system. It’s a problem of ingenuity, discernment, imagination, humility, and coordinated action.

So what now? What’s the way forward in a society where a ‘let them die’ attitude is considered an appropriate sentiment to global anguish? It all starts with asking the right questions.

What if the problems that matter most require a solution that is sustained, coordinated, and comprehensive? What if our problems, in healthcare and beyond, are epidemic and chronic — the symptoms of a more widespread brokenness? What if the problem is more agile than we are and invisible to the naked eye?

Simply put: What would essential systems look like if we were not okay with anyone dying?

I pose these questions not to set up false hope, but to draw on decades of research that proves this type of framing and envisioning generates better overall outcomes. So, we are left asking why. Why are we okay with systems that just don’t work as they should? We cannot settle for another century of designing healthcare, education, and other industries that define our quality of life, through the lens of mitigating negativity. Instead, we must design for positive and sustained outcomes.

The solutions to these types of problems require empathy. Commitment. Creativity. Ethical technology, inclusivity, and diversity of thought. And it will require an honest, hard look at the experiment of American society and capitalism — and the beautiful illusion of self-direction and choice.

To demonstrate, let’s take a step back and bring into focus an age-old question, one that I think helps articulate one of the driving forces behind our societal problems: which is better, prevention or a cure? Which side would you choose?

Maybe you’re one of those people who says “what the hell, let’s roll the dice,” with very little recognizable care for your fellow humans. And when that roll of the dice ends in your untimely death, people will say things like, “well at least he went out the way he would have wanted. Going balls to the wall…” But what about when this archetype rolls the dice and clearly kills other people, then how do we respond? What do we call him? How do we see him? Reckless? Inconsiderate? Or worse still, a killer?

Or maybe you’ll start a lengthy debate on the ethics or logic of either choice. But take a closer look at the “choices” afforded to us — prevention or cure — and ask yourself: why are we forced to choose in the first place?

We live in a society so advanced and abundant that we should, in theory, have both the prevention and the cure. But a nuanced solution that addresses systemic problems like disease, inequality, abuse, or exploitation requires — at the very least — committed and thoughtful leadership. I’m not talking about the kind that gives an eloquent speech about systemic data points, but then retreats to its own sheltered island of privilege — or, even worse, shadily supports the same system that created widespread disorder in the first place.

I’m talking about long-term, indelible leadership that is best measured by the actions it champions and the overall, communal outcomes it makes possible, in areas where the problem is most prevalent. A different type of leadership than we have ever seen that generates entirely different actions. Unfortunately, this type of leadership, and the good old-fashioned teamwork that should come with it, is largely lacking in the power structures that define American society today. And this is making the picture and potential solutions much murkier than they should be.

I would argue that our entire society — definitely the corporations and leaders with the greatest power and influence — is largely choosing to operate with a treatment-over-cure mentality. Let me illustrate the point.

Treatment mentality is a stimulus check that doesn’t even make it to the people that need it most, paying taxes into broken systems, lottery systems to get access to a better public education that still might not measure up in the global economy, keeping schools open to provide meals without a clear plan to make sure everyone who is working is actually paid a living wage. I could go on and on. This mentality, this surface-level treatment that completely ignores the root causes of the problems in the first place, is just fundamentally flawed.

Conversely, a cure mentality builds for a better tomorrow every single day. This is demonstrated by the proven outcomes of investing in equitable infrastructure, shifting healthcare from sick care to data-driven wellness, addressing the systemic issues that lead to disenfranchisement, and encouraging creativity and entrepreneurship from all walks of life. It’s fully recognizing that the “root problem,” even if it doesn’t affect us directly or isn’t easily visible, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

This mentality is a choice. So if we use our current situation to see our system for what it is — a system that is okay deciding not just how many people dying is acceptable, but also who it deems “okay” to die — who have we empowered to make these choices for us, and what mentality have they chosen? These are ethical decisions, not political ones. So who or what gets to make that choice? For those who believe we get to make these choices as individuals, you know deep down that isn’t true. The system decides. The purveyors of choice decide. The powers that be decide. This is the privilege of choice — and it’s time for this to change. We all have power even if we don’t have privilege. And if we do have privilege, we have a responsibility to use our power responsibly.

If we recognize where inertia is taking us, and if we could see and fully feel into the future, I think we would collectively say that we don’t really want that future — a future with more pollution, more division, higher mortality rates, and less happiness. We, the people, are actually the driving force causing this inertia. It’s us and our choices, our complacency, our ignorance. Are we really going to sit in this dark reality simply because we don’t have the desire to change it? We are not helpless. It’s time to challenge our own apathy — and depart from our collective complacency.

The concept of a reset is pretty easy for us to understand. Whenever our back is against the wall and we need to get to the other side of a problem fast, we restart. We reset. When our internet stops working, we quickly scramble for the reset button; when everything feels overwhelming, we reset and recharge with a vacation or a day off; when we get the dreaded blue screen of death or our computer freezes, IT support typically tells us to just turn it off and on again to reset; and when a runner or swimmer makes a false start out of the blocks and gets an unfair advantage, we reset.

I challenge us to think of our time now as an opportunity for a reset on a grander scale, for perhaps the most significant “new beginning” of our entire lifetimes.

I challenge us all to see this moment as The Great Reset.

But what does this particular reset require? Where is the button, or the plug? It doesn’t require you taking up a new meditation class, or learning a new skill, or raising your hand for public service — although I highly encourage all those things. We can’t just talk about doing things differently; we have to start actually changing our behavior. I believe we have the power, one person at a time, to unplug and plug ourselves back into a new reality, starting with the making the following choices:

1. Recognize this thing called America, while great, is broken. And I’m not talking “just take us into the body shop for a tune-up” broken; I’m talking about a completely new form of transportation. If we continue along with our current economic approach, values system, and social structure, there will be no “we” — only an ever-growing “us” versus “them.” And in that reality, nobody truly wins. The current promise of the American dream always has been and remains conditional. Conditional on things like zip code, race, and socioeconomic class. This is by design. We can do better.
2. Decide that you as an individual want to be part of a new solution, not the old problem. Nicholas Stern, the British economist said “capitalism is how we take care of people we don’t know.” The problem is a capitalist society, as we see it now, will always be at odds with an interdependent one. It literally is the antithesis of the collective. To demand it change from the inside without significant disruption and re-engineering is like asking a dog to moo, or a fish to survive without water.
3. Realize that if you have an active digital life, you are the product. If it’s on the internet, it’s free and you engage with it — be it clicking, liking, scrolling or sharing — the resulting digital information, the data your behavior creates, is your digital footprint. First, it goes through the big data industrial process — collected, cleaned, organized, and categorized. Then it’s being sold in endless marketplaces. Auctioned off to the highest bidder. It’s enormously valuable especially if it’s been collected over time (more predictive) and is more personal (allows for better targeting). This fundamental awareness will help all of us understand the exponential power that we have largely given away. If it’s to help us get healthier or connect to a loved one maybe it’s worth it. But for temporary dopamine hits or things like faster delivery, shouldn’t we be more discerning about what or who we are empowering? We must take into account the true intentions, ethics and resulting actions behind the systems we engage with beyond the immediate benefit being sold to us. There is both toxicity and benefit to the digital lives we live so let’s start making the choices with our eyes wide open.
4. Use your power, and the things you can control, wisely. If it’s on the internet, it’s free and you engage with it — Your time, your dollars, what you put in your brain, your body. This is our collective currency; don’t let an algorithm or the status quo tell you how to use it. The systems that govern us, teach us, feed us, entertain us, and heal us were designed for us to not think we have choices. The lack of transparency is on purpose. Taking your power back may (read: will) require what some might see as extra work, or extra effort. But isn’t it worth it? At its core, all it requires is a return to the humanity we were born with. It requires replacing assumption and close-mindedness with curiosity and compassion. Our idea of how much time and agency we have is all a matter of what we think we can influence. We can influence it all; stop thinking we can’t.

If we think about our collective currency, we should all see ourselves as potential investors in a new future, a new reality. And it’s time we take action. Take action with our talent, take action with our time, take action with our choices. There is no more appropriate time than now. But what seems to be missing is a coordinated effort. An inclusive proverbial “place” to turn to that we feel has a real chance at realizing a new reality.

To do our part and to help others do theirs, my company, nacci, is launching a platform called FutureOf — that will serve as a coordinated, data-driven ecosystem reshaping the future of industries and improving our collective quality of life. We’re inviting anyone reading this to lean into this moment, reimagine the future and be a part of building a better world. If you want to use your powers for good, too, let us know here.