Maslow

maslow

In 1943, Abraham Maslow proposed the theory of ‘hierarchy of human needs’; popularly known as the Maslow’s Pyramid. In essence, Maslow promulgated that humans have an ascending hierarchy of needs, each one of which has to be fulfilled, before the need on the next level of the pyramid is sought. At the base of the pyramid are the ‘Basic Physiological’ needs like air, food, shelter, and sexual urges etc. which are essential for sheer survival & procreation. The next level is of ‘Safety’, which ranges from the need of a child to feel physically safe, to the need of an adult to have job security or economic safety in the form of savings, insurance etc. After safety comes the need for ‘Social Belonging’ as part of a group. Our sense of identity, whether is it is belonging to a community, a school, a class, club, friends circle or a cohort at work, all stem from this need to belong. The fourth level of need is ‘Self Esteem’ which Maslow describes as the need to feel valued and respected both externally and internally. At the external level, this could be in the form of recognition by peers, awards and material achievements. At the internal level, this need manifests in the form of inner resilience, self-confidence and mastery over oneself. The highest level in Maslow’s pyramid is the need for ‘Self-Actualisation’. It is at this level that a person’s inner desire of achieving their full potential comes to the fore. So a well-qualified professional may decide to quit working because she wants to be an ideal parent. Another parent may neglect every other responsibility to self-actualize as social worker. While we may be familiar with the concept of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, we may not have realised its implication on leadership styles of the . future Humans are social creatures and every moment of our life is shaped by a need to be part of a larger whole. Unlike some animals who are self-reliant within months, if not days of being born, a human child is hard wired for likeability and approval as these competencies are existential until adolescence. And so literally from birth, humans are driven by group approval or an ‘external scorecard’ that guides their behaviour. This need for external approval is accentuated as we grow. For instance, most leaders in their late 40s or 50s will identify with the external scorecard of the 1970s and 1980s, when being in the science stream was good, being in commerce was okay and being in humanities was considered to be the tail end. Similarly cracking the civil services, or getting into an ivy league college, ‘day one’ placement, six figure salary with an MNC, certain brands of car, clothes etc. are all external score cards. These are the ‘safety’ & ‘social belonging’ levels of the Maslow hierarchy characterised by focus on elements like compensation, medical benefits, being part of the senior leadership team etc. As leaders grow in their careers, they cross the ‘safety’ & ‘social belonging’ levels and enter the ‘self-esteem’ strata. This is where they find that compensation by itself may not be enough if the ‘title’ or the label does not inspire them. Also this is the level at which most leaders realise that beyond a point, money per se, has diminishing returns, which is why there are countless examples of leaders who choose to stay on in relatively lower paying jobs that have higher esteem. The highest level of the pyramid – ‘self-actualization’ is the first time that leaders have to develop their own ‘internal scorecards’. And this can be a daunting challenge for those who cannot break away from the indoctrination of external scorecards. That is because external scorecards have been given to us by our parents, society, workplace etc. but the internal scorecard has to be developed by each individual leader for themselves. External scorecards consist of tangible, measurable and therefore comparable elements. For example, two leaders can compare their respective titles, compensation or power within their organisation, but they can't compare when each of them can comfortably retire, or who is happier or who has more sense of satisfaction. These are intangible, bespoke and therefore incomparable. The first mistake that many leaders make is continuing using the external scorecards which served them well during the earlier four stages of Maslow’s pyramid, even when they are ready for the fifth level. That is a bit like trying to navigate the jungles of Myanmar with a map of the London tube. These leaders continue to accumulate ‘points’ on an external scorecard – which at best can give external esteem but not internal happiness or a sense of achievement. Matter of fact, their inability to let go of the external scorecards is often the singular reason that they cannot progress to their full potential. And the second mistake is they believe that scaling of the five stages is linear amongst their subordinates. That is not the case of future workforces. While in the past, the relationship between the five levels was relatively sequenced, future generations don’t feel the need of linear progression. Instead, many of them choose to address the need of self-actualization much earlier and therefore are not motivated purely by external scorecards. This can be bewildering for leaders whose own scorecards laid emphasis on post-retirement benefits, vested stock options, superannuation funds etc. These leaders must come to terms with the fact that every exposure of the future workforce is accelerated years ahead of their own. The younger generation’s access to technology and information has compressed the timelines of experiences as well as the layers of Maslow’s pyramid. Youngsters today don’t want to wait for decades before seeking their internal scorecards. If elder leaders don’t grasp this fundamental shift, they will continue to use their own benchmarks as leadership and be confounded by its ineffectiveness. tools Ironically, this shift is also an opportunity for leaders who have remained stuck with their ‘external scorecards’. It would benefit leaders to not just practice reverse-mentoring – (which is corporate lingo for learning stuff you don’t know, from youngsters who do) but also consider reverse role-modelling. Senior leaders can choose to be inspired by the younger workforce’s quest for self-actualization which usually begins at much earlier stages than their own and support that journey by participating actively in it. Not only would that make them effective leaders in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world but also, more fulfilled ones. The author is former CEO NATGRID and President in Reliance Industries. He tweets @captraman and views are personal.

What Maslow Can Teach Us About Leadership

When you think of a company that you love, who comes to mind? It’s probably a company that you are so loyal to that it would take a seismic shift to get you to move to a competitor. As far as love goes, you probably can only think of a handful of companies that you would describe like that. But have you ever thought about why that is? In this article, we will break down the three levels of customer retention and what every company can do to move closer to the customer. Not so long ago, in a place close to here… You love and are passionate about the companies you have a personal connection with. love as “strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties.” In the age of self-service, it's difficult to remember the days when companies were intensely personal. We used to buy products and services face-to-face with a company’s representative. Often, this individual was already in the buyer’s social circle. This meant that the buyer made their buying decision based on their personal connection, which the company ultimately benefited from in customer loyalty. It is much harder to switch to a competitor when a buyer has to have a conversation with someone they care about. Mirriam-Webster describes When things digitized in the 1980s, companies cut front-line staff and automated their jobs with computers. While this was an effective cost-cutting strategy, building a personal relationship with each customer became harder. Over time, companies lost touch with prospective and existing customers. You can directly correlate the rise of Google and its ads in the early 2000s with companies trying to become top-of-mind again after years of neglecting the relationship with customers. Businesses became removed from people’s social circles, so Google allowed them to do the next best thing: targeted advertising in the comfort of people’s homes. Digital advertising replaced the door-to-door sales force, but within 10 years, ad blockers reduced the effectiveness of ad marketing. Just as ads supplanted local representatives, ads are giving way to the next evolution of ‘relationship building at a distance’: content marketing. Content marketing is and works by building trust between buyers and sellers. Appealing to your logic, rather than emotion, companies can build a connection with those they want to purchase their products. However, just like with digital advertising, there will come a time in the not-so-distant future when content marketing stops being effective. highly effective If introducing new technology to replace old technology to replace interpersonal connections in sales is feeling circular, it is. But no marketing will ever supersede the trust built when people bought products and services from people in their social network. The best this technology can do is come close. The reason is that current marketing (and its supporting technology) takes a cookie-cutter approach to building trust. While scalable, you are only ever creating content that will resonate with a subset of customers. The customer loyalty pyramid We started this article by asking you to identify a company that you love. But now we want to tweak the question - how do you feel about the rest of the companies you frequent or buy from? What emotions come to mind? If you are not feeling anything, that's quite normal, as most companies are so disconnected from their customers, that indifference is the primary emotion. The customer loyalty pyramid has three tiers, divided 80%, 15%, and 5%. The bottom, where most companies live, is the ‘Service’ tier. These companies compete for loyalty based on the service they provide and are the most replaceable. Customers compare these companies with indifference, and the non-existent relationship between them and their buyers is purely convenience-based. Geico is an example of a company in this tier. Buyers decide to purchase from them based on price, which is also the defining characteristic of companies in this tier. Because of the strict transactional relationship between these companies and their customers, as soon as a lower price is available from a competitor, the customer will churn. We reserve the middle ‘Value’ tier for companies that lead with corporate values that align with those of their buyers. These companies have a stronger pull because buyers ‘like’ these companies. Customers prefer to buy from companies that align with their values. There are fewer companies in this tier and those that are, maintain a measure of differentiation between their direct ‘Value’ competitors and those in the lower ‘Service’ tier. An example of a company that now lives in ‘Value,’ but was recently in ‘Service’ is Southwest Airlines. They rejuvenated their corporate brand, which is encompassed in their move from a slogan of ‘THE Low Fare Airline’ to their values-based ‘One Heart.’ By aligning with the values of customers who want excellent service and cheap fares, they have attracted a wide fan base that pays more for their services than their lower-cost competitors. Their retention is much higher and customer lifetime value is longer than other airlines in the ‘Service’ tier. An interesting phenomenon is that while companies can move from the ‘Service’ tier to the ‘Values’ tier, it is extremely difficult to move from ‘Values’ to ‘Interpersonal Relationship’ (it is possible to drop, though). The handful of companies in the top tier started there. A little later in this article, we will unpack why that is. The interpersonal relationship tier is exactly that - buyers feel that they have a personal connection beyond service or values. Another way to think about it is customers who buy from companies in this tier may feel that they have something at stake. Because of that loyalty, customers will stay indefinitely. So how do you get yourself into the top category? Moving toward the customer Jeffrey Hall, a communications professor at the University of Kansas who researches interpersonal communication, calculated just how long you have to spend in the tunnel before you reach the light at the end: On average, it takes about 50 hours of time with someone before you consider them a casual friend, 90 hours before you feel comfortable upgrading them to just “friend,” and around 200 hours of quality time before you’d consider the two of you to be close. These interactions used to be made by the company’s sales representatives, who would build trust over hundreds of hours. We use how normal social interactions work between two people and apply it to building relationships between companies and their buyers. By merely existing, companies are in the ‘Service’ tier. Moving to the ‘Values’ level takes at least 90 highly personalized interactions. As mentioned above, it is almost impossible to move from ‘Values’ to ‘Interpersonal Relationship’ - doing so requires rebuilding the relationship from scratch. What is easier is starting with personal relationships. Machine Learning to Building Loyalty Replicating a face-to-face relationship using digital technology is difficult. Relationships are highly variable, and that variability makes it difficult for most software to adapt to an individual. Salespeople used to have intimate knowledge of someone’s life and with that knowledge, market-relevant products and services to help them. Machine learning (ML) allows us to communicate with customers much the same way as if they had a personal relationship with the company’s representative. Better yet, ML can signal to account managers and the retention desk when a personal touch, in the form of a text, phone call, or in-person visit, is necessary. In that same vein, ML can provide recommendations for what a customer’s real-time needs are, and what messaging would be most effective in addressing their concerns. This technology pays dividends when it comes time for retention. Regardless of why someone buys from you, it's 5-25x cheaper to keep their business than to sell to a new customer. Rather than sending automated, depersonalized communications, further the personal relationship that a buyer has with your company by providing them with relevant and timely information. Conclusion It is becoming harder to compete on service and values alone, as these customers have proven that price sensitivity is their most important consideration. If this continues, companies will be forced to cut additional costs (likely in customer service) in order to offer lower and lower prices. Competing on the personal relationship tier isn't just about building customer loyalty on a more competitive level - it's about building customer loyalty that is out of this universe. Building interpersonal relationships with customers at scale is challenging. It requires a different approach, strategic outlook, and the adoption of novel technology like machine learning. For most companies who are used to competing on cost alone, the investment required to compete in the relationship tier may seem staggering. But for the companies that are already there, the results (and dividends) more than pay for themselves. Also Published Here

‘Maslow's Hierarchy of Customer Retention’: The Secret to Improving Churn

Every product bought by a business, meets one or more needs within the organisation. Founders who understand this hierarchy of needs make faster progress towards PMF in a B2B/SaaS context. I’ve found it useful to consider how a specific B2B product fits within an buying orgs hierarchy of needs, extrapolating how the buying behaviour changes based on where it is in the hierarchy. This is a simplified view most useful in the very early stages of PMF, positioning, segmenting. Let’s take a look at the buying business’s hierarchy of needs. Regulation Any business must first get their regulatory ducks in line. CPA, CS, Accounting, finance, environment, approvals: governments extract their pound of compliance early. If you’re selling a product that addresses this need, you’re usually looking at low competition, mostly cookie-cutter software. This appears to be commodity, and is usually dictated by your functional personnel — i.e. your CPA will choose the accounting software. Every geography, every industry has specific regulatory needs that are ever-changing, and must be met. Making software that helps in regulation means always playing catchup to government. Market shifts like Sales Tax -> VAT -> GST might trigger upheavals in moribund markets. Workflow In many markets, business runs on pen & paper. In some they’ve graduated to Excel sheets. In very few they’ve moved to software, and in even fewer to SaaS workflow software. The workflow SaaS of choice needs to be easy to adopt, comprehensive for their use cases, provide higher productivity than plain software (or excel or pen/paper), and become a tool they use all-day, every-day. As with most technology, enterprises have adopted SaaS/software, before mid-market, and many SMBs are yet to adopt any software. In markets where there is time-valued-as-money, where employees know their ‘hourly wage’, and managers are careful about how their team spends time, workflow productivity software sells well. In recent years, employee productivity gain has gone into increased stock prices, rather than wages. So companies which are human capital intensive are desperately seeking to improve work force productivity. At the high end, in a Google where developers cost $200K/yr, i.e. $100/hr => saving an hour a month per employee, for 100 employees in a division, is $10,000/month. A team lead in that situation who can understand the productivity gain is very likely to pay for it! Topline In fast-growth markets, topline increase is the key driver. Net profits are still critical, but cost attribution is hard, and the number of moving parts, and growth in the org make improving bottomline much less predictable. Compare practically any segment in India — with zero effort, the topline grows 10–15% YoY, because the entire market is growing 20–30% YoY. Many markets are growing even faster, meaning that a lack of investment in growth will lead to loss in market share to competition. Compare Oil&Gas vs Fintech. O&G has highly regulated predictable low/slowing growth. Fintech has new expanding markets — like online P2P lending or “income sharing”. In the former bottomline is king, in the latter the exploding topline means very low control on actual bottomline. Any product that fetches more topline is prioritized. Bottomline aka Profits As an organization matures and growth slows or becomes predictable, net profit is what investors and stakeholders demand. In the example above, in Oil & Gas, their growth is limited, costs are well modeled and understood. Increasing topline is nearly impossible, but improvements in their cost structure will show up on the bottomline. Give me the PE ratio, give me the dividends, show me your return on invested capital (RoIC), the cry goes. And products which have a demonstrable bottomline return on investment (RoI) are prized. While this is company wide in a slow growth market, this is also true for groups that are cost-centers. Groups that are profit-centers will tend to prioritize topline growth over bottomline growth, unless they have clear mandates to focus on the bottomline. Brand, Innovation, and other intangibles What’s left after you’ve made profit & growth? Investing in the future. Brand is an investment in the future. Improving the brand gives a business future returns in customer stickiness, reduced acquisition costs, and increased ARPU. Traditionally only large enterprises invested in brands, since the return is very long-term and unpredictable. Selling a product that improves a customer’s brand image has it’s own uncertainty. This year’s priority might not be there next year. Innovation is another similar intangible. It’s hard to pin down a return to investing in innovation, and yet it is necessary. If you get a buy in from VP Strategy, or VP Innovation, great! But beware shifting strategies and changing winds of innovation. Managing workflows for these teams over multiple years, can be a good niche. Mismatches Selling productivity to a small business that’s growing super fast or in survival mode. Pure productivity increase is unlikely to appeal to these buyers, unless the time saved can be better spent on increasing topline or bottomline. Selling productivity to a cost center is likely to be harder than selling bottomline improvement. Not all productivity increase translates to bottomline improvement, so attribution and closing-the-loop are important. Selling topline/bottomline to an individual/team. Most teams are cost centers, and talking to them about revenue impact may be above their paygrade. Individuals care about their own productivity, manager’s care about their team productivity. Your Product & their hierarchy The exact same functional product can meet one or more of the needs above, and your choice, as a founder, of the segment, positioning, makes a huge difference. This can be captured by a framework called . Jobs-to-be-done Consider Documentum vs SharePoint. Functionally similar. Documentum goes after markets where regulation is key — Pharma, Legal. Sharepoint goes after team productivity. Their tickets sizes vary widely based on this positioning, and the downstream integrations & features are substantially different. But at the end of the day, they both store documents. Or learning management systems. Within that MindTickle helps increase revenue through sales training, and an Adobe Captivate aims at regulation (mandatory trainings). For an SMB, where survival is at stake, clear topline increase is critical — it is oxygen. For an enterprise where long term planned predictable growth is important, workflow productivity, bottomline, topline, all become important — but in different groups. The sales team may look for increased topline. A team owning an entire P&L may look for topline. A cost-center, say finance, IT, or manufacturing, may look for improved savings (bottomline). And individual teams may look for productivity improvements to their own workflows, making their own lives easier, and giving them more time to achieve their KPIs. Mature businesses, buying products that help bottomline (profit) makes more sense than buying products that might help topline. Selling productivity is easier at low ticket sizes but harder at high ticket sizes-you will need to sell to more customers to get the same total revenue. Regulatory sells itself — if you have credibility and the right channel partnerships to reach the end users. Action When you’re iterating the problem you’re solving for a business, figure out where in the hierarchy the problem you’re solving fits. Ask your stakeholder which KPI is improved using your product. See if the same problem delivers different values to different stakeholders within the org. Find out which level of the hierarchy is critical for the customers business this month, quarter, year. Think about the same for the entire market you’re addressing. If your target audience doesn’t appreciate the value you’re selling, your sales cycle will suck. Either change your positioning, the problem you’re solving, or your buyer. Touch the spot in the hierarchy that best matches the problem you’re solving, your buyer, and the positioning, and you might just hit product-market-fit faster. _____ is an accelerator for B2B SaaS startups to go from $100K ARR -> $1M ARR fast. Upekkha

Upekkha’s hierarchy of B2B needs (aka Maslow for biz)

Humanity stands at a pivotal juncture where technological advances can dramatically reshape how we meet our basic needs and nurture our highest potential. Sam Altman’s vision hinges on three interrelated strategies—harnessing advanced AI to handle the drudgery of everyday tasks, establishing universal basic income to ensure financial security, and guaranteeing fairness through reliable human identification systems. Below are three key points that capture this transformative roadmap: Empowering Humanity’s Potential: Only a small fraction of people can focus on groundbreaking solutions, as most are busy meeting basic needs, limiting our collective progress.


Sam Altman’s Vision: Through AGI (OpenAI) and UBI, Altman aims to automate mundane tasks and ensure everyone’s core necessities are met, freeing individuals to pursue higher-level creativity and problem-solving


World.org Contribution: By offering proof of humanity and uniqueness, World helps implement UBI securely at scale, unlocking the untapped genius of billions for global innovation. Humanity faces a subtle yet profound obstacle: only a small number of individuals drive a disproportionate amount of our collective progress. While many people the world over tackle everyday responsibilities and simply try to make ends meet, there exists a rarified group of innovators, problem-solvers, and visionaries whose basic needs are so thoroughly met that they can focus on solving pressing global challenges. Prominent examples include entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, who recently became the first individual to surpass a net worth of $400 billion through ventures aimed at revolutionizing energy, transportation, and space exploration. Visionaries like Steve Jobs similarly channeled a near-unlimited sense of possibility into creating technological marvels that reshaped entire industries. Their shared advantage lies in having the fundamental levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs fully satisfied—allowing them to devote considerable time and mental energy to higher-level creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. It’s not just in business and tech. Historical figures like Albert Einstein made groundbreaking contributions to theoretical physics largely because they had grants and stipends that safeguarded their day-to-day living. When someone’s core physiological and safety needs are guaranteed, they can pivot their full attention toward discovering new theories, designing radical solutions, and contributing to humanity’s collective knowledge. The Bottleneck to Humanity’s Potential Despite the planet hosting billions of human beings, only a fraction have the freedom or resources to pursue their highest potential. This limitation curtails progress on many fronts, essentially sidelining brilliant minds who could be launching companies, making scientific breakthroughs, or influencing global policy but are instead preoccupied with meeting their fundamental needs. Sam Altman’s Vision for Accelerating Progress Enter Sam Altman—tech entrepreneur, former president of Y Combinator, and current leader of multiple forward-looking initiatives. At OpenAI, the goal is to develop Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) capable of handling routine tasks, unleashing human creativity for more impactful endeavors. If AGI can automate mundane work—from data entry to resource allocation—it frees humans to focus on formulating bold ideas and tackling existential challenges like climate change, pandemic preparedness, and beyond. However, having an AI-driven companion or assistant brings little solace to those without the resources to thrive. The technology alone doesn’t solve the fundamental imbalance that prevents most people from reaching the upper tiers of Maslow’s hierarchy. Universal Basic Income: Securing the Base A potential solution lies in Universal Basic Income (UBI)—providing every person with a guaranteed income to cover essential living expenses. With UBI, more individuals can climb above survival mode and step into higher levels of creativity, problem-solving, and social contribution. Yet the challenge remains: how do we implement UBI at scale? How do we verify uniqueness, prevent fraud, and confirm that funds reach only those who qualify, especially on a global scale? The Role of World.org World (previously known as Worldcoin) was envisioned to tackle exactly these issues, offering a framework for proving both uniqueness and humanity. By leveraging biometric data and cutting-edge cryptographic techniques, World seeks to ensure that universal payouts are safeguarded from duplication, fraud, and exploitation, making large-scale UBI programs feasible. Unlocking Humanity’s Collective Genius If these foundational hurdles are met—through AGI that relieves us of repetitive tasks and a UBI system that guarantees basic needs—our civilization could experience an unprecedented surge in progress. Freed from survival concerns, potentially billions of minds would be able to rise to the “self-actualization” and “transcendence” rungs of Maslow’s hierarchy, driving a new renaissance in science, technology, arts, and culture. Sam Altman’s recipe to elevate the world’s consciousness doesn’t hinge on a single innovation but on several intertwined breakthroughs. Artificial intelligence, universal basic income, and proof-of-humanity solutions like World.org all fit together in a grand vision of empowering humanity to do what it does best: dream, create, and solve the hardest problems that lie ahead. By addressing fundamental needs first, we can unlock the collective brilliance waiting within the billions of us who rarely get the chance to look beyond the daily struggle. Such a shift has the potential to accelerate progress at a pace once considered unimaginable. Humanity stands at a pivotal juncture where technological advances can dramatically reshape how we meet our basic needs and nurture our highest potential. Sam Altman’s vision hinges on three interrelated strategies—harnessing advanced AI to handle the drudgery of everyday tasks, establishing universal basic income to ensure financial security, and guaranteeing fairness through reliable human identification systems. Below are three key points that capture this transformative roadmap: Empowering Humanity’s Potential: Only a small fraction of people can focus on groundbreaking solutions, as most are busy meeting basic needs, limiting our collective progress. Sam Altman’s Vision: Through AGI (OpenAI) and UBI, Altman aims to automate mundane tasks and ensure everyone’s core necessities are met, freeing individuals to pursue higher-level creativity and problem-solving World.org Contribution: By offering proof of humanity and uniqueness, World helps implement UBI securely at scale, unlocking the untapped genius of billions for global innovation. Empowering Humanity’s Potential: Only a small fraction of people can focus on groundbreaking solutions, as most are busy meeting basic needs, limiting our collective progress. Empowering Humanity’s Potential: Only a small fraction of people can focus on groundbreaking solutions, as most are busy meeting basic needs, limiting our collective progress. Empowering Humanity’s Potential: Sam Altman’s Vision: Through AGI (OpenAI) and UBI, Altman aims to automate mundane tasks and ensure everyone’s core necessities are met, freeing individuals to pursue higher-level creativity and problem-solving Sam Altman’s Vision: Through AGI (OpenAI) and UBI, Altman aims to automate mundane tasks and ensure everyone’s core necessities are met, freeing individuals to pursue higher-level creativity and problem-solving Sam Altman’s Vision: World.org Contribution: By offering proof of humanity and uniqueness, World helps implement UBI securely at scale, unlocking the untapped genius of billions for global innovation. World.org Contribution: By offering proof of humanity and uniqueness, World helps implement UBI securely at scale, unlocking the untapped genius of billions for global innovation. World.org Contribution: Humanity faces a subtle yet profound obstacle: only a small number of individuals drive a disproportionate amount of our collective progress. While many people the world over tackle everyday responsibilities and simply try to make ends meet, there exists a rarified group of innovators, problem-solvers, and visionaries whose basic needs are so thoroughly met that they can focus on solving pressing global challenges. Prominent examples include entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, who recently became the first individual to surpass a net worth of $400 billion through ventures aimed at revolutionizing energy, transportation, and space exploration. Visionaries like Steve Jobs similarly channeled a near-unlimited sense of possibility into creating technological marvels that reshaped entire industries. Their shared advantage lies in having the fundamental levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs fully satisfied—allowing them to devote considerable time and mental energy to higher-level creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. It’s not just in business and tech. Historical figures like Albert Einstein made groundbreaking contributions to theoretical physics largely because they had grants and stipends that safeguarded their day-to-day living. When someone’s core physiological and safety needs are guaranteed, they can pivot their full attention toward discovering new theories, designing radical solutions, and contributing to humanity’s collective knowledge. The Bottleneck to Humanity’s Potential The Bottleneck to Humanity’s Potential Despite the planet hosting billions of human beings, only a fraction have the freedom or resources to pursue their highest potential. This limitation curtails progress on many fronts, essentially sidelining brilliant minds who could be launching companies, making scientific breakthroughs, or influencing global policy but are instead preoccupied with meeting their fundamental needs. Sam Altman’s Vision for Accelerating Progress Enter Sam Altman—tech entrepreneur, former president of Y Combinator, and current leader of multiple forward-looking initiatives. At OpenAI, the goal is to develop Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) capable of handling routine tasks, unleashing human creativity for more impactful endeavors. If AGI can automate mundane work—from data entry to resource allocation—it frees humans to focus on formulating bold ideas and tackling existential challenges like climate change, pandemic preparedness, and beyond. Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) However, having an AI-driven companion or assistant brings little solace to those without the resources to thrive. The technology alone doesn’t solve the fundamental imbalance that prevents most people from reaching the upper tiers of Maslow’s hierarchy. Universal Basic Income: Securing the Base Universal Basic Income: Securing the Base A potential solution lies in Universal Basic Income (UBI) —providing every person with a guaranteed income to cover essential living expenses. With UBI, more individuals can climb above survival mode and step into higher levels of creativity, problem-solving, and social contribution. Yet the challenge remains: how do we implement UBI at scale? How do we verify uniqueness, prevent fraud, and confirm that funds reach only those who qualify, especially on a global scale? Universal Basic Income (UBI) The Role of World.org World (previously known as Worldcoin) was envisioned to tackle exactly these issues, offering a framework for proving both uniqueness and humanity. By leveraging biometric data and cutting-edge cryptographic techniques, World seeks to ensure that universal payouts are safeguarded from duplication, fraud, and exploitation, making large-scale UBI programs feasible. Unlocking Humanity’s Collective Genius If these foundational hurdles are met—through AGI that relieves us of repetitive tasks and a UBI system that guarantees basic needs—our civilization could experience an unprecedented surge in progress. Freed from survival concerns, potentially billions of minds would be able to rise to the “self-actualization” and “transcendence” rungs of Maslow’s hierarchy, driving a new renaissance in science, technology, arts, and culture. Sam Altman’s recipe to elevate the world’s consciousness doesn’t hinge on a single innovation but on several intertwined breakthroughs. Artificial intelligence, universal basic income, and proof-of-humanity solutions like World.org all fit together in a grand vision of empowering humanity to do what it does best: dream, create, and solve the hardest problems that lie ahead. By addressing fundamental needs first, we can unlock the collective brilliance waiting within the billions of us who rarely get the chance to look beyond the daily struggle. Such a shift has the potential to accelerate progress at a pace once considered unimaginable. Sam Altman’s recipe to elevate the world’s consciousness

The Surprising Simplicity of Sam Altman's Vision to Elevate the World’s Collective Consciousness

La sorprendente simplicidad de la visión de Sam Altman para elevar la conciencia colectiva del mundo

From Vietnamese Upbringing to Marketing to a Global Audience: a Candid Convo with Linh Dao Smooke

ভিয়েতনামী লালন-পালন থেকে বিপণন থেকে একটি বিশ্বব্যাপী দর্শক: লিন দাও স্মুকের সাথে একটি অকপট কনভো

Von der vietnamesischen Erziehung zum Marketing für ein globales Publikum: ein offenes Gespräch mit Linh Dao Smooke

De la educación vietnamita al marketing para una audiencia global: una conversación sincera con Linh Dao Smooke

De l'éducation vietnamienne au marketing auprès d'un public mondial : une conversation franche avec Linh Dao Smooke

वियतनामी परवरिश से लेकर वैश्विक दर्शकों के लिए मार्केटिंग तक: लिन्ह दाओ स्मूके के साथ एक स्पष्ट बातचीत

ベトナム育ちから世界のオーディエンスへのマーケティングまで：リン・ダオ・スムークとの率直な会話

베트남에서 자란 것부터 글로벌 청중을 대상으로 하는 마케팅까지: Linh Dao Smooke와의 솔직한 대화

Da educação vietnamita ao marketing para um público global: uma conversa franca com Linh Dao Smooke

От вьетнамского воспитания до маркетинга и глобальной аудитории: откровенная беседа с Линь Дао Смук

Vietnam'da Yetişme Döneminden Küresel Bir Kitleye Pazarlamaya: Linh Dao Smooke ile Samimi Bir Konuşma

Từ nền giáo dục Việt Nam đến tiếp thị đến đối tượng khán giả toàn cầu: Cuộc trò chuyện thẳng thắn với Linh Dao Smooke

从越南成长经历到面向全球受众的营销：与 Linh Dao Smooke 的坦诚对话

The dream of homeownership is fading for many. A global housing crisis is making it a struggle for millions to find affordable places to live. The burden is heavy, with people across the world forced to spend a crippling amount of their income just for rent. In the United States alone, Barron's estimates a staggering 11 million people are spending over half their income to keep a roof over their heads. There is a reason why this is called a global housing crunch: UN Habitat estimates we need to build an incredible 96,000 new affordable homes every single day to house the 3 billion people who will need proper housing by 2030. Solving the global housing crisis also requires innovative solutions such as blockchain technology. In this interview, Adrian Gaffor, the CEO and founder of The Real Lifestyle Company(TRL)shared valuable insights into the role of blockchain technology in the search for a lasting solution to the global housing problem. Mr. Gaffor, can you briefly tell us about yourself and your route to web3? Sure! I Co-founded and currently hold an active role as the Board Member and Group Chief Executive Officer at Esports Business Network (EBN), one of the leading esports marketing groups in Asia. Our focus over the years was to develop the esports industry by bringing brands into the World of gaming and esports across multiple regions to enable brands and communities to thrive through our ecosystem. We have activated across 19 markets with the most recent expansions being in the Middle East and Africa, and worked with over 60+ brands, publishers and developers throughout our ecosystem including; Mountain Dew, Red Bull, Valve, Riot Games and Tencent Games to name a few. We started working with web3 brands in early 2020 which sparked a new area of interest for me personally. With successful case studies built for our clients in the web3 gaming and esports space, this developed into a passion of discovery where I sought to find the segment of the industry that excited me the most, and finally landed on the Real World Asset (RWA) space. Creating businesses and frameworks that not only solve problems in the world today but are defining in creating the future is something of a passion, and that’s basically our starting point. We started with a simple question: “how do we enable people to live borderless, live seamlessly and live accessible across the globe?”. According to the World Bank, 1.6 billion people will be affected by the global housing shortage by 2025. How worse can it get? The forecast you have credited to the World Bank highlights a critical and escalating issue staring us in the face. As urban populations grow, the strain on housing increases, leading to not just higher costs but also to compromised living conditions and this is present in most countries around the world. If this problem is not adequately addressed, this housing shortage could drastically increase urban slums, elevate homelessness rates, and widen the gap in socio-economic conditions globally. Adequate measures must be taken by the United Nations and all stakeholders to prevent it. We came onboard because we are deeply concerned about these developments and are dedicated to innovating real solutions that make housing more accessible and affordable across the globe. What does democratizing access to the global housing markets entail? In the real sense, democratizing access to global housing markets simply means enabling people from all walks of life to participate in and benefit from real estate opportunities—regardless of their geographic or economic constraints. This largely involves lowering entry barriers through innovative financing models and leveraging technology such as blockchain to simplify and secure transactions, thus opening up the global real estate market to investors and homeowners who were previously sidelined or shut out by the status quo. How do you explain the accessibility and affordability of homeownership? Accessibility simply means removing traditional hurdles such as hefty down payments and strict mortgage requirements. We focus on affordability so that homeownership costs remain within the economic reach of people across various income levels. I strongly believe that these can be achieved through fractional ownership and rent-to-own models(which has practical demonstrations on the blockchain), enabling customers to gradually invest in or own homes in a financially manageable way, aligning with their budget and lifestyle needs. Can you take us through the founding of The Real Lifestyle Company(TRL)? The Real Lifestyle (TRL) was born from a vision to transform the traditional real estate landscape. Recognizing the significant barriers that prevent many from entering the housing market, we sought to create solutions that not only simplify the investment and ownership process but also make it inclusive. It is our cardinal philosophy that the challenge of securing affordable housing undermines the foundational needs of Maslow’s Hierarchy. Essential needs like shelter should be easily within everyone’s reach, yet today’s youth are confronted with a grim reality. By harnessing blockchain technology, we have developed platforms that offer flexible, transparent, and efficient pathways to property investment and ownership, with the sole purpose of making real estate accessible to a broader, more diverse audience across the world. How do you leverage blockchain technology as a RWA company? The use of blockchain technology is pivotal in our approach to handling the tokenization of real world assets to the maximum advantage of the investors. It basically empowers us to tokenize properties, breaking down the value into digital shares that can be easily and transparently traded on-chain and in real time. This technology enhances the flow of more liquidity into the market and lowers the barriers to entry for real estate investments, creating opportunities for millions of people across the world. Furthermore, blockchain's inherent security and transparency instill greater confidence among investors, ensuring that every transaction is recorded immutably. We set out to build an ecosystem that fluidly integrates the tangibility of the real world with blockchain technology. What are the some of the home affordability problems that must be addressed? The prohibitive costs associated with entering the housing market, the rigidity of traditional homeownership, and the geographical limitations tied to property investments are some of the affordable housing challenges that we believe must be tackled once and for all. By introducing models like fractional ownership and home subscription services, we seek to create solutions that lower financial entry points, provide flexibility in living arrangements, and present opportunities for global property investments, thereby enabling a lifestyle unbound by traditional constraints. Our belief is that choice equals freedom. By giving people the freedom to make choices that best align with their life’s vision, we’re enabling them to live their best lives. Is there any success story you would like to share with our readers? Instead of a story, I will share a mindset that has helped me throughout my journey; “you must know what rock bottom feels like to understand how to build a solid foundation for yourself”. What does it take to run  a digital asset company? There is really nothing magical about it. My modus operandi is simple. I call this the TRL octagon of strength because they are eight in number, what it takes to run a digital asset company is": clear vision, great people, value driven ecosystem, dynamic partners, secure technology, robust legal framework, diversified revenue model, and evolving investment strategy. Any parting words? It’s time to Live For Real.  The future that we envision is one where assets like Real Estate should be transacted seamlessly, transparently, without borders, enabling the lifestyle of the future. Watch this space! You can also read my previous HackerNoon articles on how blockchain is a viable tool to combat global affordable housing crisis: https://hackernoon.com/re-housing-11-million-americans-using-dao The dream of homeownership is fading for many. A global housing crisis is making it a struggle for millions to find affordable places to live. The burden is heavy, with people across the world forced to spend a crippling amount of their income just for rent. In the United States alone, Barron's estimates a staggering 11 million people are spending over half their income to keep a roof over their heads. Barron's There is a reason why this is called a global housing crunch: UN Habitat estimates we need to build an incredible 96,000 new affordable homes every single day to house the 3 billion people who will need proper housing by 2030. Habitat Solving the global housing crisis also requires innovative solutions such as blockchain technology. In this interview, Adrian Gaffor , the CEO and founder of The Real Lifestyle Company(TRL)shared valuable insights into the role of blockchain technology in the search for a lasting solution to the global housing problem. global housing crisis Adrian Gaffor Mr. Gaffor, can you briefly tell us about yourself and your route to web3? Sure! I Co-founded and currently hold an active role as the Board Member and Group Chief Executive Officer at Esports Business Network (EBN), one of the leading esports marketing groups in Asia. Our focus over the years was to develop the esports industry by bringing brands into the World of gaming and esports across multiple regions to enable brands and communities to thrive through our ecosystem. We have activated across 19 markets with the most recent expansions being in the Middle East and Africa, and worked with over 60+ brands, publishers and developers throughout our ecosystem including; Mountain Dew, Red Bull, Valve, Riot Games and Tencent Games to name a few. We started working with web3 brands in early 2020 which sparked a new area of interest for me personally. With successful case studies built for our clients in the web3 gaming and esports space, this developed into a passion of discovery where I sought to find the segment of the industry that excited me the most, and finally landed on the Real World Asset (RWA) space. Creating businesses and frameworks that not only solve problems in the world today but are defining in creating the future is something of a passion, and that’s basically our starting point. We started with a simple question: “how do we enable people to live borderless, live seamlessly and live accessible across the globe?”. “how do we enable people to live borderless, live seamlessly and live accessible across the globe?”. According to the World Bank, 1.6 billion people will be affected by the global housing shortage by 2025. How worse can it get? The forecast you have credited to the World Bank highlights a critical and escalating issue staring us in the face. As urban populations grow, the strain on housing increases, leading to not just higher costs but also to compromised living conditions and this is present in most countries around the world. If this problem is not adequately addressed, this housing shortage could drastically increase urban slums, elevate homelessness rates, and widen the gap in socio-economic conditions globally. Adequate measures must be taken by the United Nations and all stakeholders to prevent it. We came onboard because we are deeply concerned about these developments and are dedicated to innovating real solutions that make housing more accessible and affordable across the globe. What does democratizing access to the global housing markets entail? In the real sense, democratizing access to global housing markets simply means enabling people from all walks of life to participate in and benefit from real estate opportunities—regardless of their geographic or economic constraints. This largely involves lowering entry barriers through innovative financing models and leveraging technology such as blockchain to simplify and secure transactions, thus opening up the global real estate market to investors and homeowners who were previously sidelined or shut out by the status quo. How do you explain the accessibility and affordability of homeownership? Accessibility simply means removing traditional hurdles such as hefty down payments and strict mortgage requirements. We focus on affordability so that homeownership costs remain within the economic reach of people across various income levels. I strongly believe that these can be achieved through fractional ownership and rent-to-own models(which has practical demonstrations on the blockchain), enabling customers to gradually invest in or own homes in a financially manageable way, aligning with their budget and lifestyle needs. Can you take us through the founding of The Real Lifestyle Company(TRL)? The Real Lifestyle (TRL) was born from a vision to transform the traditional real estate landscape. Recognizing the significant barriers that prevent many from entering the housing market, we sought to create solutions that not only simplify the investment and ownership process but also make it inclusive. It is our cardinal philosophy that the challenge of securing affordable housing undermines the foundational needs of Maslow’s Hierarchy. Essential needs like shelter should be easily within everyone’s reach, yet today’s youth are confronted with a grim reality. By harnessing blockchain technology, we have developed platforms that offer flexible, transparent, and efficient pathways to property investment and ownership, with the sole purpose of making real estate accessible to a broader, more diverse audience across the world. How do you leverage blockchain technology as a RWA company? How do you leverage blockchain technology as a RWA company? The use of blockchain technology is pivotal in our approach to handling the tokenization of real world assets to the maximum advantage of the investors. It basically empowers us to tokenize properties, breaking down the value into digital shares that can be easily and transparently traded on-chain and in real time. This technology enhances the flow of more liquidity into the market and lowers the barriers to entry for real estate investments, creating opportunities for millions of people across the world. Furthermore, blockchain's inherent security and transparency instill greater confidence among investors, ensuring that every transaction is recorded immutably. We set out to build an ecosystem that fluidly integrates the tangibility of the real world with blockchain technology. What are the some of the home affordability problems that must be addressed? The prohibitive costs associated with entering the housing market, the rigidity of traditional homeownership, and the geographical limitations tied to property investments are some of the affordable housing challenges that we believe must be tackled once and for all. By introducing models like fractional ownership and home subscription services, we seek to create solutions that lower financial entry points, provide flexibility in living arrangements, and present opportunities for global property investments, thereby enabling a lifestyle unbound by traditional constraints. Our belief is that choice equals freedom. By giving people the freedom to make choices that best align with their life’s vision, we’re enabling them to live their best lives. Is there any success story you would like to share with our readers? Instead of a story, I will share a mindset that has helped me throughout my journey; “you must know what rock bottom feels like to understand how to build a solid foundation for yourself”. What does it take to run  a digital asset company? There is really nothing magical about it. My modus operandi is simple. I call this the TRL octagon of strength because they are eight in number, what it takes to run a digital asset company is": clear vision, great people, value driven ecosystem, dynamic partners, secure technology, robust legal framework, diversified revenue model, and evolving investment strategy. clear vision, great people, value driven ecosystem, dynamic partners, secure technology, robust legal framework, diversified revenue model, and evolving investment strategy. Any parting words? It’s time to Live For Real.  The future that we envision is one where assets like Real Estate should be transacted seamlessly, transparently, without borders, enabling the lifestyle of the future. Watch this space! You can also read my previous HackerNoon articles on how blockchain is a viable tool to combat global affordable housing crisis: https://hackernoon.com/re-housing-11-million-americans-using-dao You can also read my previous HackerNoon articles on how blockchain is a viable tool to combat global affordable housing crisis: https://hackernoon.com/re-housing-11-million-americans-using-dao https://hackernoon.com/re-housing-11-million-americans-using-dao

Can Blockchain Solve The Affordable Housing Crisis? Exclusive Interview With TRL CEO Adrian Gaffor

Newton’s Laws in Society: How Social Forces Move Physical Bodies

সমাজে নিউটনের আইন: সামাজিক শক্তিগুলি কীভাবে শারীরিক দেহগুলিকে স্থানান্তরিত করে

Newtons Gesetze in der Gesellschaft: Wie soziale Kräfte physische Körper bewegen

Las leyes de Newton en la sociedad: cómo las fuerzas sociales mueven los cuerpos físicos

Les lois de Newton dans la société : comment les forces sociales déplacent les corps physiques

समाज में न्यूटन के नियम: सामाजिक शक्तियां भौतिक निकायों को कैसे स्थानांतरित करती हैं

社会におけるニュートンの法則: 社会力がどのように物体を動かすか

뉴턴의 사회 법칙: 사회적 힘이 육체를 움직이는 방법

As Leis de Newton na Sociedade: Como as Forças Sociais Movem os Corpos Físicos

Законы Ньютона в обществе: как социальные силы движут физическими телами

Newton'un Toplumdaki Yasaları: Sosyal Güçler Fiziksel Bedenleri Nasıl Hareket Eder?

Định luật Newton trong xã hội: Các lực lượng xã hội di chuyển cơ thể vật chất như thế nào

社会中的牛顿定律：社会力量如何移动身体

Have you ever stumbled upon a meme that made you pause, not just because it was funny, but because it felt like a direct commentary on your life? Picture the "This Is Fine" dog, sitting calmly amidst flames, a cup of coffee in hand. It's funny, yes, but isn't it also a striking metaphor for how we often cope with chaos in our own lives? Memes have transcended their origins as internet jokes to become mirrors reflecting society's psyche. They're making us laugh, think, feel, and sometimes question. Let's dive into how these digital snippets have become the cultural artifacts of our time. Memes as Cultural Artifacts Consider the "Distracted Boyfriend" meme: a man turning his attention away from his partner to admire another. At first glance, it's just a funny take on infidelity. But if you stare at it for one too many seconds, you'll find layers of social commentary on loyalty, distraction, and the human tendency to desire what we don't have. Basically, it’s a modern take on ‘your grass is greener on the other side of the fence’. Memes like these capture the zeitgeist of our era, encapsulating complex societal norms and behaviors in a single image. Read: Elmo Checks In, Everything Is Not Okay: A Lesson in Empathy for Brands Virality and Relatability Why do certain memes, like the "Bernie Sanders at Inauguration" with his mittens, capture our collective imagination? It's their relatability. In Bernie's case, it was the universal feeling of wanting to be comfortable anywhere, even at a presidential inauguration. These moments go viral because they tap into shared emotions and experiences, making us feel part of a larger narrative. And we love to be part of something more than just ourselves. Memes and Social Commentary Memes often serve as a platform for subtle social critique. Take the "Area 51 Raid" meme, which started as a joke but soon evolved into a commentary on government transparency and collective action. What does it say about our society when a meme mobilizes hundreds to "see them aliens"? Dissecting Why Memes Work From a psychological standpoint, memes do more than just entertain; they fulfill several intrinsic human needs. At their core, memes can reinforce a sense of belonging by creating an 'in-group' where shared knowledge and humor signify membership. This aligns with Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, where belongingness is a crucial step toward achieving esteem and self-actualization. Memes also serve as a vehicle for catharsis, allowing individuals to express frustrations, fears, and desires in a socially acceptable manner. The popularity of memes expressing existential dread or the absurdity of adult responsibilities speaks to a collective need to voice and validate our anxieties in a world that often demands stoicism. Furthermore, the virality of memes can be attributed to their simplicity and the cognitive ease with which they can be processed and shared. This simplicity, however, belies their complexity as cultural artifacts capable of influencing public opinion and shaping discourse. They act as a barometer for societal values, norms, and tensions, offering a snapshot of the zeitgeist in a way that is accessible and immediately relatable. The Future of Memes: Deciphering the New Lexicon Today, it is evident that memes have evolved into a language of their own—a lexicon so rich and nuanced that understanding a single tweet might require fluency in multiple meme dialects. Consider the depth of knowledge required to navigate the layers of meaning in a tweet that references not one, but five different memes. Each meme, a building block of a larger narrative, contributes to a complex web of cultural references that are instantly recognizable to the initiated. This phenomenon has created a unique in-group—those "chronically online"—who communicate in shorthand so dense that someone not versed in the latest internet lore might find themselves adrift in a sea of seemingly nonsensical exchanges. Take, for example, the statement about an unkillable mushroom: " ." Out of context, it's an absurd declaration. Yet, within the meme culture, it represents so much more. Reddit You cannot kill me in a way that matters It’s like memes have become the Rosetta Stone of the internet age, allowing us to share jokes, insights, and solidarity across linguistic and geographic boundaries. This way, we are basically compressing intricate thoughts and emotions into a format that is digestible and relatable on a universal scale. Conclusion So, next time you come across a meme that makes you chuckle or pause in thought, remember: you're engaging with a piece of cultural history, a snapshot of our collective psyche. What does that meme say about us, and what does our reaction to it reveal about our values, fears, and hopes? In the meme economy, every share, every like, every comment is a contribution to the ongoing discourse of our time. What will your contribution be?

Understanding Internet Culture: Why Are Memes Such a Hit?

274 Stories To Learn About Software

by Jeff Garzik and Ralph Benko Humorist Robert Benchley (in his , a little over a century ago, panning the New York City telephone directory (those young readers who don't know what a telephone directory was hereby are ) once wrote: Vanity Fair book review directed here "There may be said to be two classes of people in the world; those who constantly divide the people of the world into two classes, and those who do not." Irony aside, Benchley was on to something. That said, our railroad gauge is (and, hence, the dimensions of the Space Shuttle was) determined by the wheel ruts carved into the mud roads of Roman empire war chariots in Britain. Similarly, our minds often are stuck in archaic patterns. Curable! The "two classes" that dominate our modern mindset, the rivalry between conservatives and progressives, is growing obsolete. Once upon a time, way back in the Cold War, when good old American "liberty and justice for all" was confronting the monstrosity of world communism… left vs right was a useful and maybe compelling way to sort the world. That was then. This is now. Now, there are new rules of political warfare that define the presenting challenges. We propose that the most consequential divide is between technophiles, lovers of technology, and technophobes, those fearful of technology. Technophilia isn't about gizmos. It's about human and planetary welfare. That said, there's some confusion. Fortunately, here we are to dispel confusion with facts. There is a prevalent myth in the culture. It holds that the tech-skeptical Hippies are pro-nature, pro-ecology and more environmentally nobler. This fairy tale's apotheosis is probably Thoreau's . Walden That prevailing myth also holds that those of us who embrace technology trend negligent toward the environment. Pastoral romanticism has a deep pedigree, about which the , "Many of the idylls written in its name are far remote from the realities of any life, rustic or urban." Washington Power & Light believes the evidence is irrefutable that more and better tech leads, reliably, to a cleaner, more pristine, environment. As noted at , Britannica observes dryly HumanProgress.org "The (EPI) is a joint project of the Yale Center for Environmental Policy and Law and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University. The index has been a leading resource on accessing environmental protection in individual countries for over 20 years. Environmental Performance Index "The latest 2020 edition ranks 180 countries based on metrics, such as air quality, ecosystem vitality, environmental health, drinking water, CO2 emissions, etc. However, what stands out about the 2020 edition is its conclusion: "Good policy results are associated with wealth (GDP per capita), meaning that economic prosperity makes it possible for nations to invest in policies and programs that lead to desirable outcomes. This trend is especially true for issue categories under the umbrella of environmental health, as building the necessary infrastructure to provide clean drinking water and sanitation, reduce ambient air pollution, control hazardous waste, and respond to public health crises yields large returns for human well-being." So… the true argument isn't one between the noble, ecologically conscious, Hippies and the vile, polluting, scientists and engineers. We both, in fact, tend to hold the environment with great respect. The real argument is over the best means to achieve both the humanitarian and environmental goods to which both Hippies and Squares aspire. Furthermore, this is no longer (if ever it was) a struggle between the left and the right. The left offers at least as much thought leadership on using technology to better both the human condition and planetary environment as does the right. As Eric Levitz wrote for New York Magazine's : Intelligencer "Ezra Klein, Matthew Yglesias, and other commentators have called for liberalism [meaning leftism] to reorient its priorities in light of its present challenges. They argue that we need a new "supply-side liberalism" or a "liberalism that builds," which would prioritize rapid decarbonization and housing abundance over other goals. In practice, this means scaling back regulatory obstacles to energy development that some environmental groups value and restricting the capacity of localities or self-appointed community representatives to override the will of democratically accountable officials." The litany of public intellectuals who are techno-optimists is long and eclectic, culminating recently in a compelling presentation of the case for tech in the center-left New York Times. There, per a recent notice by Peter Coy (agreeing, in part, disagreeing in part) of the recent book Superabundance, " ": An Economic Case Against Environmental Doomsayers "As long as there have been doomsayers, there have been their opposites, who are sometimes called cornucopians. Among other predecessors, the authors cited (I'm alphabetizing) Angus Deaton, Peter Diamandis, Gregg Easterbrook, Andrew McAfee, Deirdre McCloskey, Johan Norberg, Steven Pinker, Matt Ridley, Paul Romer, Hans Rosling, Anna Rosling Ronnlund and Michael Shellenberger. "What makes "Superabundance" more than a reiteration of cornucopian optimism is the tables and charts the authors have put together showing exactly how much better life has gotten because of technological progress and trade." So, we submit that the authentic argument is one between those who believe that the environment, as well as human welfare, can best (and not so incidentally, in a politically sustainable fashion) be served by technological innovation. Not by making the economic pie of affordable goods and services smaller. Tech is just a fancy word for tools. Better tools provide, among other things, less pollution. As well documented, among other places, in and its associated site , we now use far less in the way of natural resources to get our goods, thereby producing far less waste. Thus, more people can afford, and have, devices that provide the necessities, amenities, and even luxuries of modern life. Superabundance HumanProgress.org These provide the middle class of America with a far better standard of living than even royalty enjoyed throughout most of history. And there is no evidence that most people, here and abroad, are willing to surrender these for the privilege of going back to the stone age. Tech also leads both toward more equitable prosperity -  providing us the means to climb , rising from the bare necessities for survival, to security, up to sociability, dignity and respect, to self-actualization, higher categories embracing the demand for a cleaner and cleaner environment. Maslow's hierarchy of needs Doubt it? , aggregate pollution emissions of six common pollutants have dropped, in the US, by 71% since 1980 while our GDP grew 182%, the population has grown by 44% and energy consumption has increased by 28%. Per the EPA Politics is a competitive sport. As such it intrinsically requires an "us" vs. "them." At its hard core, the fight now is between the technophiles ("us") and decels ("them"). In watching, or making, the political and policy news let's have a clear idea of what the fight is really about so we don't fall into as "Das is nicht einmal falsch" "not even wrong," meaning so far afield as to be irrelevant. So, what's it all about? Wolfgang Pauli's indictment of a young physicist's paper The 200 proof version is now being fought out in obscure corners of the Internet under the exotic names of " " vs. the " Effective Acclerationism  -  in jargon “e/acc” -  is defined at : effective accelerationism "decels," or decelerationists. Substack "This isn't faith or simplistic optimism. At the core of e/acc is a set of conclusions about the world drawn from the physics behind life itself, and the path forward it lays out is as clear as it is compelling. All there is left to do is pitch in and help. All there is left to do is build. "In more practical terms, e/acc is about how and why we will all flourish in the world we are building right now. In a world of where we are fed a constant stream of reasons to be hopeless, e/acc is a reason to be hopeful in this very moment. That, more than anything else, is why e/acc is the nexus of so much energy, and why I hope you will be excited about it, too." And for a sharp word for the decels, consider columnist and blogger Noah Smith's admonition, " " Don't be a decel. "Decel" is a derogatory slang word used by the . It's short for "decelerationist", meaning someone who wants to slow down technological progress. Most decels probably wouldn't explicitly think of themselves this way, but their attitudes and beliefs end up working in that direction. e/acc community … "Hopefully the decel trend will wane if and when it becomes apparent that unrest in America has . But in the early 2020s, it's still going strong, and it's something we need to remember to push against. Eras of division and unrest are the exact time when it's most important to remind ourselves that over the broad sweep of history, technology is what allows us to live in material comfort, free of disease and other natural threats. It is a force to be harnessed, not fought. And yet progress is never inevitable or automatic; it depends on a favorable institutional context. It depends on government science funding, on private capital, on big business and small business, and very often on public-private partnerships. passed its peak "And most of all, it depends on a populace that believes that increasing humanity's power over our world will make tomorrow better than today. The more that hope in our technological future is able to transcend partisan cleavages, online subcultures, and mass ennui, the faster we will move on to the next, better chapter in our history. "Accelerate." Washington Power and Light, at base, is here to repudiate dogma. As that notorious precursor to the Tea Party, provocateur Saul Alinsky, wrote in , Rules for Radicals "I detest and fear dogma. I know that all revolutions must have ideologies to spur them on. That in the heat of conflict these ideologies tend to be smelted into rigid dogmas claiming exclusive possession of the truth, and the keys to paradise, is tragic. "Dogma is the enemy of human freedom. Dogma must be watched for and apprehended at every turn and twist of the revolutionary movement." We demand that our policy makers and thought leaders supplant dogma with facts. Instead of dogmatism, we preach empiricism. Not so long ago it used to be aptly called " " It's the exaltation of reason. And it works imperfectly but very effectively. the Enlightenment. The evidence is overwhelming that to improve the standard of living of people while improving the quality of the environment we must abjure "hopium" -  sentimentality, fantasy and virtue signaling  -  and build policy from those stubborn things called facts. Facts are the only consistently reliable guide to adopting policies that are proven, in the laboratory of history, to actually work to improve our lot. Science and engineering, not politics, are the proven source, for instance, of reliable, abundant, and environmentally friendly energy with which to uplift both humanity and the world's ecological goodness. So, we are doing our level best to help the capital lift its mind out of dogma, the metaphysical equivalent of the wheel ruts carved into the mud roads of Roman empire war chariots in Britain. Washington? Just face facts! In the wise words of Noah Smith: "over the broad sweep of history, technology is what allows us to live in material comfort, free of disease and other natural threats. It is a force to be harnessed, not fought." Accelerate! About the authors Jeff Garzik serves as the founder and chairman of the policy institute Washington Power and Light. Before co-founding Bloq, he spent five years as a Bitcoin core developer and ten years at Red Hat. His work with the Linux kernel is now found in every Android phone and data center running Linux today. Ralph Benko serves as co-founder and general counsel to Washington Power and Light. He is the co-founder and general counsel for and has worked in or with 3 White Houses, two executive branch agencies, and the Congress as well as many political and policy institutes. He is a multi-award-winning writer. F1R3FLY.io

Washington? Just Face Facts!

ওয়াশিংটন? জাস্ট ফেস ফ্যাক্টস!

Washington? Seien Sie einfach den Tatsachen ins Auge!

¿Washington? ¡Solo enfrenta los hechos!

Washington? Faites simplement face aux faits !

वाशिंगटन? बस तथ्यों का सामना करें!

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