Louis Michael: Envision a world that is better

Studying the past gives you an appreciation for how quickly things can change. The Victorian era seems so distant and yet it was only 200 years ago. Many Victorians believed that their industrial revolution meant they had developed to a point where they could progress no further. Either in arrogance or ignorance they thought they had reached the pinnacle of advancement, but already our technological era has overshadowed it.

It seems to be a common trend that we become so enamoured with the ingenuity of our present time that we have a hard time believing that anything could possibly improve upon it. And yet with the innovative enterprise of the current technological frontier we’re on track to be seen as even more archaic than the Victorians are to us.

If we think on this we begin to understand that humanity is part of an eternal process of trial and error, constantly refining itself as it filters out what didn’t work and retains and improves upon what did. If you fully embrace this perspective all around you you suddenly begin to see where these improvements could be made, where you could spark that refinement and be the catalyst for that positive change. And in a second we go from being a polished advanced civilisation to a rough work in progress.

We don’t all have to become activists overnight

Lets not make the same mistake as the Victorians, resting on our laurels and stroking our egos. Let’s own up to our shortcomings and be enthusiastic about building a better future for everyone.
Let’s step outside of our contemporary context and envision a world that is better. No one believes our world is perfect beyond improving. We tell ourselves that things are good enough as they are because we don’t have time to change the world.

The pressures of the modern world mean we don’t have time to whittle away the weight under which we are all crushed, all we can do is bear the burden and get on with our lives. But we don’t all have to become activists overnight. All it takes is hope. Hope in a better future. Belief that we can achieve a world that isn’t the 1% against the 99%. If we believe in a world that is more harmonious, cohesive, and happy, we can look for opportunities to guide the world there.

Be the change you want to see in the world, enact that change, create that change.

And this June 8th vote, vote for a party that you believe will make the world a better place.