Future issues
The topic overview: - Progress versus retrospection - Identity - Commercialization - Digitization Progress versus retrospection Why is it actually worth investing in progress and not being satisfied with the current state of affairs or even living backwards? There are quite a few opinions that the good "old" days were better and more social. In fact, some arguments cannot be completely dismissed, such as social cohesion, better personal relationships or the slower pace of life at the time. In reality, however, the point is not to constantly quarrel about current circumstances, but to accept changes and combine the best of the tried and tested and the new possibilities. Inevitably, with the passage of time and the wealth of ideas of billions of people, new wishes, views and demands arise, regardless of which areas of life are considered. It is important to counter these (challenges) with intelligent solutions that benefit society and the environment. And we can always influence these solutions to a certain extent with our positive actions. Because often intelligent solutions are simple things that exist in our heads but are not expressed. Any good friend, acquaintance, family member, or expert will help you implement good ideas. We should just try it out. In addition to the benefit for society, the positive benefit of personality development is just as great. If, on the other hand, we wish to go back to the campfire and hunt and collect independently, it can be quite nostalgic, but it can also be quite exhausting. When we want to turn back time, we quickly come across a sticking point in the much-cited phrase: "Everything was better in the past". - When exactly do we mean earlier? If you ask for opinions in poorer sections of the population or countries, you get to the point relatively quickly that progressive helpers, such as A functioning electricity, medication, modern agricultural equipment or fast internet are very welcome and often vital things. Therefore, the exact point in time, when exactly everything was "best", is a very personal and different point in time for each individual. So let's concentrate on the current situation. Let's approach the question of whether continued progress makes sense a little differently. Have we reached the point now where we shouldn't get any further? When answering this question, let us first think not of the personal but of the social challenges. Of course, an individual could say that it's enough for me personally. I have a house, family and garden and am covered, why should I make further progress and am interested in what comes after me? In truth, however, it is not the case that those who want to solve global but also regional problems with new, more advanced engineering solutions and thus improve everyone's quality of life have a right to further progress. Or those people who have to live with illnesses or disabilities and are entitled to find intelligent new solutions to remedy them. Just like for those people who want to go a new way of shaping their life and are not happy with "house, family and garden"? Ultimately, every individual has a right to it who wants to make their life more livable with small, progressive achievements. Even those with a house, family and garden. If you just think of the challenges our children or the next generation in general await. So everyone supports progressive thinking in our society in some way. But it should be done in a way that nobody is forgotten or lost and the benefit of everyone is in the foreground. The advantage in a democratic society is that everyone can stretch their finger to object: "Wait a minute, this is going too fast for me." If you then move away from a defensive stance towards constructive solutions, more can be achieved than you think. As positive-thinking people, we quickly come to the opinion that the key to a functioning, valuable future does not end at one's own garden fence, but that everyone should at least be interested in the functioning of society as a whole, at best, should be committed to it. To clarify how the useful new can be combined with the functioning, proven, will be decisive, as we can inspire all people with reservations about future developments. And for that we need each of us. We will soon be presenting some of the specific approaches to solving the issue of progress and society on this website. By reading this link, we will show you how you can deal with the topic in a fundamentally positive and in some points critical way. Take 25 min. Time for. Identity It is no longer new. We live in times of populist government leaders. They promise the citizens of a country a bright future through simple, apparently plausible answers to difficult questions. The identification of the citizens with your country should be regained. And the populists seem to be successful, they are gaining ever greater popularity. Indeed, it should be the aim of the political elite to formulate answers to increasingly complex issues in a way that is understandable for all citizens. Nevertheless (!), Each of us should ask ourselves critically whether we are behaving rather selfishly and unsocially by demanding simple answers. Maintaining one's identity also always has to do with respecting other views and cultures. And the claim does not have to be to have to understand everything. Current topics such as migration, sustainability or complex social issues, for example, cannot be answered so easily with demarcation or pointing. What would we expect personally if, for example, we had to flee our beloved homeland ourselves. Even if the reasons for this seem fictional, they could at some point become realistic, for example in the case of armed conflicts, environmental disasters, nuclear accidents, epidemics or other scenarios. If we put ourselves in this position, the question would be what it means to identify with something, not just bound to national borders. So you don't lose your identity for a long time if you have to leave your familiar surroundings. The identity of everyone is not only tied to a specific place, but rather shows in what meaning I give my life, whether I am also interested in what happens around me and with what self-awareness I shape my life. Just as I can be a host for other people in need today (e.g. neighbors, elderly people, children, disadvantaged people, migrants ...), in the future I would perhaps be happy to be able to meet a socially minded host myself in an emergency. Overall, we would all be wisely advised to formulate fewer prohibitions or instructions. Rather, it is about suggestions and opportunities that result in a more valuable life. Each of us has the opportunity to advance meaningful topics through open discussions, which are also heard with a certain persistence. If you conduct a factual discussion with the risk that your own opinion does not always meet with approval, you form characteristics such as respect and perception as well as your own and collective identity of those involved. Nevertheless, there is a loss of identity in a broad section of the population. And then there are definitely local reasons. Take the example of the East German citizens, whose longing for a lost identity grew ever greater in the period after reunification. The answers to this are obvious. Citizens were largely on their own after a new system was imposed on them. And this democratic system in which we live really has more than just positive sides. When you suddenly find yourself at the mercy of a society of the elbow, and social coexistence gradually crumbles, society is faced with difficult identity problems. Blooming landscapes are of no use if the social fabric breaks down. Hoping only for the self-determination of the citizens is therefore a wrong signal. Rather, it is the task of politics here to take people by the hand in phases of radical change, such as after the fall of the Wall, and to radiate security. And here it plays a major role that regional differences are not lumped together. In Germany as an example, the sense of identity differs from region to region. North German coastal residents, people from the metropolitan region in the Ruhr area, or rural residents in parts of southern and eastern Germany describe their identities quite differently. And it can stay that way. Only with consideration of these different identities and the acceptance of common social values can Germany as a whole be a strong social cohesion of all. A regional sense of identity is therefore unproblematic as long as it is not accompanied by exclusion or isolation. Of course, the burdens caused by immigration must not increase immeasurably. That is why it is important to politicians, be it regional or supra-regional, objectively and emphatically to point out grievances. Bringing different individual identities together in a social community is still not impossible. Rather, it promotes the understanding of everyone and strengthens self-knowledge that one's own identity can only enrich the whole. The task will always be to find an agreement. And this connection can be transferred not only to citizens, but to a great many other communities or alliances, such as the European Union or on a much smaller level such as the employees of a company or the residents of a shared apartment and also their own families. Let's just live it. Let us be individuals with an identity that defines us personally and can also be useful in the community. We are showing the populist politicians that having an identity is not the same as excluding those who think differently. Rather, it enriches us. Commercialization If you listen to current discussions about the subject of commercialization, you would have to assume that you have to say goodbye to all the beautiful living conditions if you renounce the current commercial behavior of our generation. In this article we would like to write about the fact that this does not have to be the case and that a rethink is still necessary. Prudence rather than satiety is a good approach. In all areas of life, an oversaturation with something is just as harmful as the lack of essential needs (such as eating, drinking, sleeping). If you allow yourself a life in weariness, this leads to negative behavior in a relatively short time. The lack of appreciation for objects, food or people is not long in coming. Friends are "bought" and the interest of others only ranges from one "Ohh" to another "Uhh". Last but not least, self-worth and respect for and from others are lost. But - how do you get rid of it, with all the glittering promises and the oh so carefree life with property enrichment. Man is just as eager for more as he is a collective being. If he has a lot, he wants more. He likes individuality as long as he is not lonely. So how could you combine the two in order to lead a meaningful life in the commercial world. It is very important to ask questions about your daily purchases, do I really need it or am I once again seduced by the sophisticated advertising world. To actively bring this question to mind brings a huge improvement in personal attitudes. Do I really need a new winter jacket again, even though I only bought one last year, or can I still wear it? And if I really need it, it would not make sense to look up whether I am buying a sustainably produced, longer-lasting winter jacket and at the same time doing something for environmental awareness and fair production. Does it make me really satisfied in the long term to buy a cheaply made product, where I got the mega bargain again, but it soon turns out that quality and sustainability have suffered as a result. Yes, you should think about this and not ONLY about whether the next mulled wine should be red or white. Under no circumstances do we want to act as a brake on the fun, but drinking mulled wine is no longer fun if you have also given a few thoughts about commerce, sustainability and appreciation. Isn't it this appreciation that I show everyone when I at least question my consumer behavior? We all have the opportunity, for example, to direct the suppliers of food and luxury foods with our demand. If we buy sustainable, organically produced food that does indeed cost a little more and in return we reduce the amount of food we eat, we have killed several birds with one stone. Our body thanks us for the valuable, moderate food intake, manufacturers are encouraged to produce healthier sustainable food and all in all we spend less money through more careful shopping. We should really take the time to shop carefully and not just limit ourselves to food. More likely even on consumer goods such as clothing, household appliances or entertainment electronics. Swapping, borrowing and leasing instead of buying are sensible alternatives here. And why the whole thing? Because, on the one hand, we will simply no longer be able to afford to own the large number of new consumer goods on offer in the future and, on the other hand, it is resource-saving to share devices. And our economy? Doesn't it suffer when fewer and fewer things are bought? Yes, if the company restricts itself to the sale of new goods. And no, if the companies develop further and also offer the new business models (e.g. swap, rent, borrow, lease). Let's take manufacturers' responsibility with us if they are really serious about prudent, sustainable management. And we as consumers should try a rethink. Because not only the possession of an object makes you happy, but actually the use of this object. And the use in the form of sharing, renting, leasing can definitely bring added value by exchanging ideas with like-minded people and also eliminating the responsibility for maintenance, care, etc. It is particularly advantageous for items that you do not need every day and constantly, also because you can fall back on the latest versions. We will soon present the possibilities for swapping, borrowing or leasing things. Digitization Are we facing a golden age or will we become superfluous with increasing digitization? Blog follows