Our Collective Future Looks Grim

The troubles ahead feel daunting. And yet, hope is in the details. The only thing we can say with certainty is that the future has not happened yet. In every moment, and in every catastrophe, there is always the opportunity to learn, to be better, to do better. This is our choice.

Things Are Getting Real.

The time between cause and consequence is shrinking. The same lies no longer hold water, or people’s attention, the way they once did. Drama can be conscripted to engage the heart, capture attention, and lull us into complacency, but not forever. Scripted drama pretending to be the truth is losing its power. Each of us has a snapping point. And as we snap, a collective snapping point emerges, where change that once seemed impossible arrives very quickly.

---

We must face the truth.

One truth many prefer to deny is this: our survival depends on other people and the natural world. And these human and complex systems operate very differently from linear models. Two essential characteristics are tipping points and synergistic effects. A tipping point is a point of no return, a major change that appears suddenly and without warning. The trajectory is often visible only in hindsight, or to the few voices who tried to warn us but couldn’t rise above the din. As Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, recently observed, “We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.” I agree. We are at a place of no return. The place we came from no longer exists.

But tipping points are not always negative. They can also open the door to transformation. Stretching limits is one way of mitigating tipping points. In fact, it’s essential for building resilience, adaptation, and vitality in any system. It works best when guided by a deep understanding of what the system actually needs, supported by strong feedback loops and clear communication. This is how ecosystems function when they are in balance.

So yes—stretching limits works. Until it doesn’t.

At some point, systems snap. The history of our planet—and of humanity—is littered with snapping points. You might even say it’s natural. Inevitable. And profoundly uncomfortable.

Another defining feature of complex systems is that effects multiply. Small actions can cascade. Individual behavior can amplify across a group. When forces combine, results are rarely linear—they compound.

Fire offers a powerful example: fires can create their own weather. Humans can do this too. Individuals generate their own “weather” within organizations and communities. One person can have an outsized impact, for better or for worse. You can probably think of examples in your own life, as well as in public life and politics. Most of us have encountered that person on a team or in an organization who creates a toxic environment that affects everyone else.

We have also known people whose presence elevates everyone around them. These are not minor influences, but system-level forces.

---

This is where personal responsibility meets collective reality.

We are not separate from the systems we inhabit. We are active participants in them. Every choice sends ripples outward. Every act of courage or avoidance, care or neglect, strengthens one trajectory over another in ways that are not always obvious.

This moment demands honesty. It demands attention. It demands that we recognize both our fragility and our power.

The future has not happened yet.

And that means it is still ours to shape.