When you're stuck in your own ways, you hardly ever notice the rapid changes that are happening all around you.
In a way, this can be a good thing, since you won't suffer from getting exposed to so many distractions that are prevalent in this modern era. You stick to your routine and well established and proven patterns.
Of course, the not so good thing is you end up generally being left behind from the general direction the world is heading towards.
But that too isn't really a bad thing. Because where the world is heading, it may not be the best path for everyone.
To stick to one thing for a long period of time is an underrated skill nowadays. I rather much prefer to be left behind than hop on every new trend that comes along.
But then, there's always an inner conflict between being part of the world and maintaining your own independence.
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A Wild Forest
Just a few centuries ago, the idea(or experience) of changing careers multiple times within a decade or two was mostly never heard of. Within that same era, very few if any were aware that there are billions of galaxies in existence.
People of those times generally didn't think much either, their mental structure was quite different from people of today, who are hyper stimulated to think constantly during their waking consciousness.
From that era of a few centuries ago to now, the shift that has happened is akin to going from living in a garden to getting thrust into a forest, with all its complexity, interconnectedness and potential for both discovery and getting lost.
Multiple parallels here, the difference between web2 and web3 is sometimes likened to a walled garden(web2) and an open, decentralized wilderness (web3).
In education, we're gradually moving away from a traditional, structured system(garden) to one that emphasizes lifelong learning and diverse online courses(forest). As mentioned above, "careers" now resemble a winding forest trail with frequent changes and pit stops compared to before, which was linear and predictable.
Even the way we consume information has shifted dramatically, from curated news sources(garden) to a constant deluge of data from social media and countless online platforms(forest).
Getting Lost In The Forest
For me, the most interesting aspect of it all is in our sense of personal identity. In my view and experience, this has transformed quite a bit too, more people, especially the younger generation are moving away from fixed, culturally defined roles(garden) to a more fluid, self-defined identities(sub-forest).
Feeling lost in this modern era takes on a new dimension in light of what has been discussed above.
The experience of feeling lost differs significantly between a garden and a forest setting.
In a garden, disorientation is mostly temporary and can easily be remedied by finding a familiar landmark. Boundaries are clear, and the path forward is typically well-defined.
In contrast, feeling lost in a forest is more profound because it involves a complete lack of familiar reference points and an overwhelming array of possible directions.
To me, our modern era undoubtedly feels more like a forest than a garden. Significant challenges are ahead and navigating without a clear map, dealing with the anxiety of unlimited choices, and finding our place in a world that seems to constantly shift beneath our feet is really a complicated and almost impossible task to tackle head on.
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