Human Economics

Human Economics

Economy

Throughout all of history, humanity has never lived in an era of such intimate globalization, as we do today… Never has any one country’s economy been so dependent upon the economy of other countries, and never has the fate of people in any one country been so dependent upon the fate of people in other countries. Indeed, the current crisis is affecting everyone, everywhere. It is with good reason that journalist, Thomas Friedman, argued in the midst of the crisis that it was “Time to Reboot America.” The laws that define relationships among individuals in society have changed dramatically, hence economy—which reflects those interconnections—must follow suit. Yet, this cannot happen by means of restrictions and regulations, since it is evident that our desire to enjoy is only growing through the years. Therefore, even if we truly want it, we will never be able to turn back time. As we develop, we constantly devise new ways to “beat the system.” Instead of wasting taxpayers’ money trying to reverse an irreversible situation, we must change our approach toward economy and business from the root level. The solution is to start from the place where the crisis began—the lost trust in human relationships. What has become clear is that we no longer trust one another: people don’t trust banks; banks don’t trust the rating firms, who don’t trust company shareholders, who have no trust in financial advisors, who have no trust in traders, who have zero trust in governments, who simply trust no one. Period. Nevertheless, despite the mistrust, we find that we are still dependent upon each other. And the more aware...
Clouds in My Coffee

Clouds in My Coffee

Culture

Nature is filled with examples of endlessly repeating patterns, where the whole is built on the balanced interaction of the parts. For generations, man has only looked at his “parts” – individuals. Now, maybe it is time to consider the whole – humanity. I feel another downhill day coming, and I dread going into work. Will I get a sudden escort out this morning like poor Erika? Our manager, Phil, wouldn’t want us to steal or damage anything, especially staff morale – as if there were any left! I’ve known Phil for 30 years; what’s happened to him? To the whole world? At least we still have some creature comforts, most notably – a gourmet cup of java to give me some courage. Watching that drop of cream in the coffee, the pattern of swirls within swirls, I can’t help thinking back to that 1972 Carly Simon song, “I had some dreams; they were clouds in my coffee, clouds in my coffee…” Clouds in coffee… swirls within swirls… patterns, unfolding within themselves, over and over, like variations on a theme. Isn’t this the way all of Nature is? Fern leaves, coastlines, clouds – each is composed of a geometric shape that’s repeated at a smaller and smaller scale, each shape nested within its larger counterpart. Isn’t there something to be learned at this time from this property that is so pervasive in Nature? Perhaps the world’s problems and solutions are hidden within these unique, yet universal, patterns. And perhaps we could unlock this universal secret if only we had a master key, the “fractal”! Patterns of Life This term,...
It Is Hard to Divorce the World

It Is Hard to Divorce the World

Culture

We are witnessing a brand new and fascinating phenomenon – our society is becoming integrated. It is no longer about banks and industries establishing partnerships all over the world, exchanging raw materials, merchandise, food supplies and so on. Today, even the world’s cultures and education systems are merging into a single, universal composite. All of these elements are interconnected and interdependent in every way. It is no accident that the modern media have made it possible for everyone to be informed of everything that’s happening in the world. Such transparency enables people to connect on a whole new level – across racial, cultural, and national divides. It also puts us at a greater degree of mutual dependence than ever before. When there is this kind of dependence in a tightly connected family, whose members care for each other, it benefits all. Everyone is responsible for everyone else, and no one is left behind. Otherwise, the family falls apart. The problem is that precisely because we’ve been integrated on a global scale, we simply cannot divorce each other. Though hatred and contempt may run rampant, it doesn’t change the facts of the matter one bit. Nature has imprisoned us on this planet, this tiny surface, and we have nowhere to run from each other. With each passing day, our interdependence grows stronger. In the past, when individuals or nations clashed, the worst they could do was simply “remove” the rival. Today, the smallest conflict is fraught with colossal global ramifications. Opinions aside, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that everybody in the world is dependent on (and responsible for!) everybody else. This presents us with a...