Technology

“over the past 60 years the West has begun to shift away from the culture of progress, and towards one of caution, worry and risk-aversion, with economic growth slowing over the same period. The frequency of terms related to progress, improvement and the future has dropped by about 25 per cent since the 1960s, while those related to threats, risks and worries have become several times more common.”

I mean, when people are struggling to survive it’s hard to let yourself get excited about technology that will likely only benefit the most wealthy. All of the “easy” discoveries have been made. Anything else getting research funding is to further capitalism.

Why take risks when there is literally no reward? Are you serious

This makes sense if you think of “progress” since WWII, overall peoples’ lives and standard of living improved because of technology and progress in other areas.

Today, we don’t see things like politics as being able to “progress”. The thought of technology progressing further at an exponential rate is scary because we don’t understand it and there could be some real consequences.

And of course, the ones who control said technology like AI are the billionaires who control so many other things and have bunkers in New Zealand or what have you for when it all goes to shit - largely because of their bad decisions that got us here in the first place.

So yeah…there was a time when “the future” was exciting. Now it’s just terrifying because it doesn’t seem like there is any practical way to avoid whatever bad thing awaits us. And those who truly could make a difference have noped the fuck out and decided that we should just all go to Mars instead of trying to improve things here….those who can afford the ticket, of course.

When you know exactly how far away from homeless you are at any given moment it really doesn't exactly lead you to making risky moves

And the more people who feel that way the more it shapes culture as a whole

I've been there, both having been homeless and knowing how far from homeless I am at any given point

Without complete financial ruin, 6 weeks. Financial ruin embraced, 6 months to a year. Maybe a little longer if I'm careful.

A risk averse culture would take the climate crisis seriously. We live in a YOLO culture.

I think risks are a lot higher generally now, just in everday life.

Back 20 years ago people were a lot more understanding and had a lot more tolerance for things.

Now everyone is looking to get offended or make a big deal about stuff. That mentality has affected everything. The risks are higher which makes the entry higher and deflection from the status quo dangerous.

People feel on guard just with talking. That sort of mentality will bleed into everything.

How about awareness that climate change will ruin us all.

It checks out that the peak of optimism in your graph is around the 80's and 90's. We weren't just "optimistic" in the 90's. We were delusional. We were ignoring problems instead of solving them