Ari Wallach

These all come from puritanical beliefs. Now we're at this point in this intertidal moment where we have to critically examine why is it we do what we do? What are the things that we want to keep? And what are the things we want to let go of? And how do we move forward? And your question was, well... Why do they want to do that? What's the incentive structure?

And I'm arguing that the incentive structure for us to do that because we actually care about where we take our species, where we move forward in the universe, given the fact that so much had to go right to get us to this point. I'm often asked this question, you know, God, how did we get so messed up? And what is it going to look like?

And I'm arguing that the incentive structure for us to do that because we actually care about where we take our species, where we move forward in the universe, given the fact that so much had to go right to get us to this point. I'm often asked this question, you know, God, how did we get so messed up? And what is it going to look like?

And I'm arguing that the incentive structure for us to do that because we actually care about where we take our species, where we move forward in the universe, given the fact that so much had to go right to get us to this point. I'm often asked this question, you know, God, how did we get so messed up? And what is it going to look like?

Yeah, so I get the question. Like, how is it that we messed up? And I always say we didn't mess up. We're actually doing much better. Look, I walk into my daughter's room and I look at their bookshelf, 15-year-old twin daughters. And every piece of fiction that takes place somewhat in the future is dystopian.

Yeah, so I get the question. Like, how is it that we messed up? And I always say we didn't mess up. We're actually doing much better. Look, I walk into my daughter's room and I look at their bookshelf, 15-year-old twin daughters. And every piece of fiction that takes place somewhat in the future is dystopian.

Yeah, so I get the question. Like, how is it that we messed up? And I always say we didn't mess up. We're actually doing much better. Look, I walk into my daughter's room and I look at their bookshelf, 15-year-old twin daughters. And every piece of fiction that takes place somewhat in the future is dystopian.

All the futures they know are the Hunger Games, are the 100, are the Maze Runner, a world that has gone bad. I understand – we talked about this earlier. There's the negativity bias. People are going to be attracted to reading about those things.

All the futures they know are the Hunger Games, are the 100, are the Maze Runner, a world that has gone bad. I understand – we talked about this earlier. There's the negativity bias. People are going to be attracted to reading about those things.

All the futures they know are the Hunger Games, are the 100, are the Maze Runner, a world that has gone bad. I understand – we talked about this earlier. There's the negativity bias. People are going to be attracted to reading about those things.

Oh, my. Those are the bestsellers. The bestsellers are all these dystopian – there's always a love interest and a teenage thing, but it's always the backdrop – is always dystopia. And we're attracted to that in the same way we're attracted to a dumpster fire because we want to see the things. Dystopians can act as a... So sad. Dystopian stories can act as an early warning system.

Oh, my. Those are the bestsellers. The bestsellers are all these dystopian – there's always a love interest and a teenage thing, but it's always the backdrop – is always dystopia. And we're attracted to that in the same way we're attracted to a dumpster fire because we want to see the things. Dystopians can act as a... So sad. Dystopian stories can act as an early warning system.

Oh, my. Those are the bestsellers. The bestsellers are all these dystopian – there's always a love interest and a teenage thing, but it's always the backdrop – is always dystopia. And we're attracted to that in the same way we're attracted to a dumpster fire because we want to see the things. Dystopians can act as a... So sad. Dystopian stories can act as an early warning system.

If you keep doing this one thing that you're doing and extrapolate out a few decades, it'll look like this. What we're missing, and you hit the nail on the head, are the stories about what if we get it right, what we call protopia. So utopia is this perfect world that always collapses on itself. It's really a dystopian aside. Dystopia, we talked about, is a terrible, terrible world.

If you keep doing this one thing that you're doing and extrapolate out a few decades, it'll look like this. What we're missing, and you hit the nail on the head, are the stories about what if we get it right, what we call protopia. So utopia is this perfect world that always collapses on itself. It's really a dystopian aside. Dystopia, we talked about, is a terrible, terrible world.

If you keep doing this one thing that you're doing and extrapolate out a few decades, it'll look like this. What we're missing, and you hit the nail on the head, are the stories about what if we get it right, what we call protopia. So utopia is this perfect world that always collapses on itself. It's really a dystopian aside. Dystopia, we talked about, is a terrible, terrible world.

A protopia, this idea put forth by Kevin Kelly, is a better tomorrow, not perfect, but one where we're making progress. So it's unbelievably important, and this is how I'm answering your question from a few minutes ago, that we start setting stories in protopias, in better tomorrows, in tomorrows where not everything is perfect, but where we have made significant progress.

A protopia, this idea put forth by Kevin Kelly, is a better tomorrow, not perfect, but one where we're making progress. So it's unbelievably important, and this is how I'm answering your question from a few minutes ago, that we start setting stories in protopias, in better tomorrows, in tomorrows where not everything is perfect, but where we have made significant progress.

A protopia, this idea put forth by Kevin Kelly, is a better tomorrow, not perfect, but one where we're making progress. So it's unbelievably important, and this is how I'm answering your question from a few minutes ago, that we start setting stories in protopias, in better tomorrows, in tomorrows where not everything is perfect, but where we have made significant progress.

Now, it won't be perfect. There'll still be divorces and maybe murders and mayhem. But if we start backdropping our future visions in worlds that are better than they are today, I would argue that will be the stories that start acting as a kedge to help pull us through this narrow moment of flux and chaos that is this intertidal.