2021 - The Great Reset

2020 is finally coming to a close.

I am not sure about you, but I find myself letting out a sigh of relief as we put behind us what has to be one of the worst years in recent history.

It has been a year that changed something - for everybody.

It could be the unfortunate loss of a loved one either due to the pandemic, or the angst of not being present during the final moments because of the global travel restrictions.

Livelihoods were shattered as industries crumbled and people lost their jobs. Everybody struggled in some way - but yet disturbingly, in very unequal ways.

The world gave us a timely warning that underneath what we had taken for granted as the success of globalisation, there exists strong sentiments of nationalism and blaming of other countries for causing my problems.

Even more alarming is how forces like racism and xenophobia have been lying so dangerously close to us, waiting for the right conditions to take to the center stage in droves.

Amidst this chaos, technologies such as automation and artificial intelligence - which gained popularity because of how it could help humanity, reared its ugly head in the form of biases, ethics, monopoly of (digital) raw resources, and the human fear of losing even more jobs.

Stronger

It has been a tough year, and it will be flippant of me to say "I understand". The fact is, nobody can truly understand what one has gone through this year.

But I believe that there is hope.

In a morbid way, the world offered us a glimpse of what is going to break us, but offered us an opportunity to alter our course.

In the various scenarios that play out in my mind, it all distills down to a simple question.

What does it mean to be human?

We will have to make some fundamental adjustments as the world resets itself.

1. Be Kind

The world has been too angry and sad for the most part of 2020, perhaps because of the rat-race and the "me-before-you" culture that has gone on for too long.

Slow down, look around you, and try to appreciate what the other person is going through. Perhaps it will be easier to understand why some things happen the way it does.

Don't underestimate the consequences of the "butterfly effect" that a simple "Thank you" can make in many other people's lives downstream simply through the daily interactions.

2. Invest in yourself

The past year has shown us that deep specialisation has been the natural product of a capitalistic society. When the machinery works as expected, everybody stands to benefit from it.

But the drawback of a singular deep skill is that disruption can throw you off-balance in very unexpected ways.

Invest in yourself. Pick up new skills, find out how to merge passion with a "job", learn to look at the world through a different lens. Build "pi-shaped" capability to remain versatile in a fast-changing future.

3. Respect diversity

We are not all built the same. We may have different backgrounds, professions, cultures, value systems, political beliefs.

We must recognise the inherent affinity bias in us. What works best for me, might not be the same for another individual.

To learn to respect each other, let us first recognise that we have different strengths. And that difference is humanity's mechanism to adapt to ever-changing conditions.

4. Recognise your filter bubble, and explore outside

As we live in a social media world, we have to recognise that the filter bubble or echo chamber exists to keep us engaged. The downside is that it makes us more rooted in our perspectives, often at the expense of ignoring other views or becoming victims and amplifiers of misinformation.

To address the three points mentioned earlier, you need to be at least aware of this bubble. Proactively seek alternative views and exercise your critical thinking on what you read.

5. Give back to society

We share only a very brief moment in the long history of mankind. What impact do we want to leave behind when our time is up. What kind of world do we want to leave for our future generations?

Find time to volunteer, teach, be a mentor, build something.

Make a difference in someone's life today.

There is hope - but only if we change

As we speak today, geopolitical tensions are being reset. The first vaccines are being administered around the world. Some parts of the world are slowly reopening up cautiously.

The world will slowly readjust back.

This year gave us a glimpse that the world we had created was not sustainable for future generations. We have a role to play to ensure we reset back to a better world.

We have a chance to work together as a common species to answer the simple question.

What does it mean to be human?

PS: Over the last 12 months, I embarked on a journey to pick up formal education in Sociology, Artificial Intelligence, and emerging technology. To lead in the new world, I strongly believe one must truly understand technology AND its implications for society. I will share my learning and perspectives through my LinkedIn feed and look forward to learning from your different views.

Disclaimer: The views here are those of mine, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the global EY organisation or its member firms.