We are alive in the most pivotal moment in history; a time of light-speed communication and novel digital lifeforms; of biological tinkering and open-world virtual realities. We have never had more technological power to bend the world to our will, and yet, as we look around at the growing threats of global conflict, epistemic confusion, addiction and ecological decimation, we clearly haven’t yet figured out how to wield these new powers optimally.

And given these accelerating debts, it is quite plausible that our current game’s trajectory is one of self-termination. Indeed, given how we treat many other non-player-character species in our care, there may even be far worse outcomes than extinction ahead of us if we aren’t careful. Either way, us Earthlings are playing an extraordinarily high stakes game right now, and extraordinary stakes games require extraordinary players. They also require extraordinary design.

Our social, economic, and political systems have long been dominated by power struggles, arms races and status games. These zero-sum processes aren’t all bad – after all, they’ve helped unlock large parts of our current tech tree – but they’re vulnerable. They’re vulnerable to being dominated by the most ruthless and tyrannical players, and they’re also vulnerable to the forces of chaos and entropy. A zero-sum game can quickly descend into an omni-lose war if the weapons it is fought with are sufficiently powerful. 

Worse, our systems that are meant to protect us from these sucky outcomes are also starting to crumble under their own poor design. The narrow and corruptible metrics that feed them are becoming increasingly misaligned from their original intention. At the same time, our Earthly playing field is running out of places to absorb the excesses of our most destructive tendencies. And while we humans can — and should — expand into space to ease off some pressure, it will not be sufficient to win the game in the long run, especially as we build ever more powerful AI in our own image. To get that doozy right, we must first at least try to address the clear misalignment within ourselves.

So it is time to create a whole new way of being. A paradigm that finds a way through the trade-offs and paradoxes, and finds new paths. An economy that simultaneously maximizes freedom AND sustainability. A vibe of playfulness AND honest self-reflection. Incentive systems that simultaneously align the interests of each individual AND the group as a whole. A civilization of players who can discern for themselves when best to compete, when best to collaborate, and when to chill the f out and smell the roses.

LEVEL 2

X