Prosperity for Posterity
Prosperity for future generations can only be achieved if there is a collective effort to strive for dynamic equilibrium. Only when we understand that we have two lives do we realize our finite limitations within an infinite cosmos of potentiality. Our first life is unconsciously living with an infinite mindset of growth and consumption, stuck in beliefs that we hold to be self-evident (#Selbstverständlichkeiten), and lacking an understanding of the interdependencies of the world (#Weltverständlichkeit). It is a life defined by the ‘outside-world’. Our second life begins when we realize that life in itself might actually be finite, and that we can only enjoy our (current) individual freedom if we invest in the common good. In this life, we strive for a balance between the external and internal world.
As we transition to a new definition of wealth, humanity is slowly awakening from a giant nap into a world of paradoxes. We are starting to realize that we have been trying to solve today’s challenges with the very same models and thinking that have caused the imbalances that we now face. Traditional systems of education, politics, and the economy have not yet adapted to the world we have created, and we are now confronted with a gordian knot of interwoven paradoxes.
The portmanteau ‘Prosterity’ expresses the essence of this (new) conscious journey in which our social operating system—the economy—is upgraded, adapted, and shaped to benefit humanity as a whole. The Old Economy is dead, and so is the New Economy. What follows is the Quantum Economy—or the Q Economy. And while technology will save humanity, the only way to save the Mensch—and organized human life—is to shape a humanistic capitalism that paves the way towards a dynamic equilibrium.
The ‘invisible hand of the market’ turned out to be a false stabilizing factor based on rigid national borders (state capitalism) and western belief-systems that have fought for power (including through their connection to the catholic church). But when we take our western, eurocentric glasses off, a new world emerges in which there is no ‘hand’. A world in which what we call ‘systems’ are now structures that are fluid and constantly adapted to meet new challenges.
This ‘new world’ is one in which a younger generation combines eastern philosophical views with western beliefs in the common religion that we call capitalism. This has led to the wider shift towards an atheist-religious-pop-western Buddhist approach that, in turn, is reshaping our ideas of capitalism itself. But it is not about Buddhism in an orthodox sense, and it is often superficial, but it tends to focus on the path and not on finite goals. Is this new Weltverständlichkeit good or bad? It is impossible to judge in normative terms. It is, however, one that is committed to the idea and understanding of a ‘Weltgemeinschaft’—a global society which understands that everything is connected and that we are all in this together.
The first step on this journey is understanding the fragility of the world that we have built, and accepting critical discussion about crises and global challenges. As a species, we are currently confronted with at least two existential challenges: a) how to avoid an ecological collapse and b) how to live and organize human life with exponential technologies.
In early 2020, the management thinker and professor Henry Mintzberg gathered with a group of people to outline a declaration of interdependence, which is a concept that has been adapted to various fields in the past. A year earlier, I had published ‘The Quantum Economy—Saving the Mensch with Humanistic Capitalism’, the final part of which starts with a potential preamble to such a declaration:
“We, humanity, take these truths to be self-evident, that all human beings are created equal, that they are created to create, and therefore entitled and obliged to live in freedom and to search for understanding”
Since then, Henry and I, together with a team of global changemakers, have joined forces to share and adapt the declaration created by Henry and his colleagues. We share the belief that we must take a holistic approach, that our economy must serve as a stabilizing factor and operating system for society, and that each and every one of us has the potential to contribute to a much larger extent than most can imagine today.
Making a personal commitment to the declaration of interdependence is a (first) step in a journey towards dynamic equilibrium—a more balanced society.
In the coming decades, technology will help us extend organized human life and save humanity from disaster. But there is also an increasing demand for real connections between individuals, and for each and every one of us to achieve a more balanced life between our external and internal worlds. The goal is to define what it means to be a Mensch—a positive, active, thinking human being. We will only have the chance to cope with the societal challenges if we rethink our economic structures. And if we want to achieve prosperity for posterity—prosterity—we will have to adapt our educational models by moving from rigid structures, where we send our children to hierarchical and finite systems more rooted in old military complexes than the world we live in. The only way forward is for us to learn how to learn, and to teach how to teach. By reshaping educational models and teaching practical applied philosophy, we can begin to adapt our political systems towards more locality and regional identity while simultaneously fostering more globalization and unity.
The road to prosterity is not about a revolution or radical change, but more about our own everyday contributions towards dynamic equilibrium. We will not improve the state of the world if we build more weapons and emphasize authoritarian power, but rather if we move towards global strength and interdependency and exploit the collective potentiality that we have as human beings and as a society. Love and compassion are stronger forces than the weapons we have used up till now. The first step for all of us is getting along with our Mit-Menschen—those around us—starting with our neighbors: returning to a society where we can have civilized discussions, e where it is okay to have different opinions, and where we try to understand other side’s Selbstverständlichkeiten, where they are coming from and why they see the world as they do.
Prosterity means shaping an infinite world-view within the finite limitations of life itself. It means finding a balance between what we consciously enjoy now and what we seek to improve for future generations. This includes adapting the economy, our educational institutions, and our political systems to a new world order. A world in which a more Taoist ethics shape technology and the economy, and in which we recognize that everything is a part of an interdependent global society.
PROSTERITY
[ˈprɑːˈ—ster·ɪ·t̬i], portmanteau of POSTERITY and PROSPERITY
POSTERITY: All future generations of people
PROSPERITY: Generally implied to success in terms of wealth, health, and happiness (but can also be used more broadly)
The word ‘Prosterity’ describes the essence of 21st century leadership in business, politics, and society as a whole. It is a way of life and guiding principle for shaping a holistic, humanistic, and compassionate capitalism. Prosterity leaders are stakeholder-driven and strive towards a ‘dynamic equilibrium’. They build for future generations, grow as human beings, and shape the world around them—including people, communities, resources, and the planet. (Indset 10/20)
Educational Program: ‘The Prosterity Program’ is an educational offering for 21st Century Leadership: (Re-)defining Self, Wealth, and Society. Check out: https://gilt.global
DESCRIPTION OF USED TERMINOLOGIES (‘ANDERSISMS’)
(Words that better describe the essence of the thinking when used in the original language)
- Selbstverständlichkeiten: Our individual beliefs/’truth’/dogma that we hold to be self-evident but should critically question
- Weltverständlichkeit: a holistic understanding of the world, how it is interconnected and how the underlying forces operate and shape a global society. A globally common sense / understanding of the world: A society of Understanding.
- Weltgemeinschaft: The global community—all people put together—together in social terms
- Mensch: a “good” human being: someone with humanistic values that also integrates emotions and moral calculus into their actions and beliefs. Contrast with “pure rationality”.