Growing the future: ways forward, together

by Kari McKern

Preamble

We find ourselves in an age of immense contradiction. On one hand, we possess the capacity to reflect, to imagine, to transcend the immediate demands of survival. On the other, we remain trapped in patterns of behaviour that drive societies toward conflict, exploitation, and collapse. These patterns are not the result of individual malice but the manifestation of a deeper, systemic logic—a logic born from our nature as components of a Complex Adaptive System (CAS). Nations, economies, and cultures operate as self-organising systems, responding to pressures without foresight, bound to mechanisms that once served us but now threaten to destroy us.

The seeming madness of the world today is not irrationality, but rather the result of two forces colliding: the collective, unconscious behaviour of humanity as a system, and the individual, conscious awareness of something more. We are torn between the machinery of history, driven by the logic of survival, and the spark of awareness that tells us we are capable of something higher.

Nations as Machines in the Web of Life

Nations, like all CAS, are self-organising systems. They are driven by feedback loops, competing for resources, reacting to threats, and evolving in response to environmental pressures. This dynamic creates patterns of behaviour—cycles of expansion, conflict, consumption, and collapse. Nations behave predictably, as any system would when responding to its environment: they seek power, secure resources, and defend themselves. But this behaviour, once necessary for survival, now perpetuates a cycle of destruction.

The aggression, the rivalry, the endless competition we see between nations is not a failure of human morality. It is the behaviour of a system that operates without awareness of its own trajectory. Like a colony of ants, or a swarm of locusts, nations follow the logic of their programming, driven by collective survival instincts. The result is a world of constant conflict—wars fought over dwindling resources, economies that consume the Earth without pause, and cultures that amplify division rather than unity.

But here lies the contradiction: while nations behave as units of a CAS, individuals within those nations possess the capacity to reflect, to understand, and to change. We are not bound to the same unconscious logic. We can see beyond the immediate demands of the system. We can imagine a different way of being.

The Programming of Hate

Our hate, our fear, our competition—these are not accidents of human nature. They are the result of evolutionary programming that once ensured our survival. The drive to form in-groups, to defend territory, to see the “other” as a threat—these behaviours were crucial for the survival of early human communities. Over millennia, these patterns became embedded in the structures of our societies, encoded in the institutions and ideologies that shape our world today.

Yet, while these behaviours once served a purpose, they now act as a barrier to our collective survival. In an interconnected world, where the actions of one nation reverberate across the globe, the old instincts of division and conquest only lead to greater destruction. Our hate was programmed in, but it no longer serves us. Instead, it drives us further into conflict, even as we possess the awareness to see its futility.

This is the source of the madness we experience today. On one level, we are trapped in the behaviours of a system that compels us to compete, to fear, to hate. On another level, we are aware of the possibility of something greater—a world where cooperation, understanding, and shared purpose guide our actions. The tension between these two forces is the root of our crisis.

The Call for Conscious Evolution

To transcend this madness, we must awaken to the reality of our dual nature. We are both agents within a Complex Adaptive System, shaped by forces beyond our control, and conscious beings capable of reflection and transformation. The path forward requires us to reconcile these two aspects of ourselves, to evolve from unconscious participants in a machine-like system into conscious architects of a new order.

1. Recognising the System

The first step is to recognise the system for what it is: a set of patterns and behaviours that drive nations and societies toward conflict and collapse. These patterns are not immutable. They are the product of historical forces, shaped by environmental pressures and survival strategies. By understanding these forces, we can begin to disentangle ourselves from their grip. We must see the world not as a series of isolated events, but as the unfolding of systemic logic, driven by feedback loops that reinforce division and competition.

2. Embracing Individual Awareness

At the same time, we must embrace our capacity for individual awareness. Unlike the nations and systems we inhabit, we are not bound to unconscious patterns of behaviour. We possess the ability to reflect, to imagine, and to choose a different path. This is our greatest strength—the ability to step outside the system and see it for what it is. We can rewrite the rules of competition and cooperation, not by dismantling the system, but by evolving within it.

3. Cultivating Global Solidarity

Our future depends on cultivating a new form of solidarity—one that transcends the boundaries of nations, cultures, and ideologies. The global crises we face—climate change, resource depletion, geopolitical conflict—cannot be solved by any one nation acting alone. They require a collective response, grounded in the recognition that we are all part of the same system. Solidarity does not mean uniformity; it means recognising our shared fate and working together to navigate the challenges ahead.

4. Transforming the Structures of Power

The structures of power—governments, economies, and institutions—must be transformed to reflect this new awareness. They must become adaptive, flexible, and responsive to the needs of humanity as a whole, not just the interests of the few. This requires a shift from the pursuit of short-term gain to the pursuit of long-term sustainability. Power must be decentralised, shared, and accountable to the people it serves.

Conclusion: The New Hero’s Task

The task before us is nothing less than the conscious evolution of human society. This is not the hero’s journey of old, where the individual slays the dragon and returns triumphant. Today, the hero’s task is one of awakening—awakening to the reality of the systems we inhabit, and to the possibility of transcending them.

We carry within us the programming of competition, fear, and hate, but we also carry the spark of awareness that allows us to see beyond it. This is our challenge: to overcome the unconscious forces that drive us toward destruction and to embrace the conscious potential within each of us to create a world of cooperation, understanding, and shared purpose.

The world is not mad. It is simply following the patterns of a system that no longer serves us. Our task is to awaken from that system and to chart a new course for humanity—one grounded in the recognition that we are all part of the same web of life, and that our survival depends on our ability to evolve together.