In a discussion forum pointing to this video, one person noted how each generation is trained to hate some enemy, and it’s usually religiously based.

This topic deserves a deeper contemplation, although here are initial thoughts…

What’s great about today is the opportunity for global exposure to otherwise foreign cultures and religions.

However the new exposure challenges established doctrines which in turn challenges who we are. Following doctrines is habitually easier than opening our consciousness to explore other ways of being.

Established doctrines are often not current in meeting the demands of modern day, straining its relevance. Unfortunately leaders sometimes meet this challenge by promoting fear in order to keep power (as we are naturally selfish), rather than using it as an opportunity to deepen or broaden faith in their followers.

On the flip side, personal experiences that connect people in new ways may move us forward beyond previously established boundaries.

As far as the video goes, this may be a marketing scheme, but I welcome all marketing schemes that promote peace and connection to our global community. Bring on more ads like this please.

 

 
The attention toward Natural User Interface as the next big fascination is passé in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong this is something we should work toward, although so far it’s been under delivered.

Years ago we realized the continuation of increasing computational power, sophisticated software, and the miniaturization of mechanics would bring great advancements. With these developments we envisioned sensors and other tech embedded in everyday things bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds, and the promise of NUI as we interacted. It was wonderful to ponder and discuss all its potential.

So far however in terms of NUI today, we humans are doing the majority of adapting.

Sure we currently have gesture, touch, and voice control, but they’re within certain parameters. We’re still either walking up to a screen or pulling one out of our pockets to do the interacting. Sure Google’s Glass has the potential for bringing us one step closer.  But we’re still going to have to adapt to them as people stare at us with a range of expressions from wide eyed curiosity and contempt.

Continued pumping of NUI’s promise in light of where we are today feels like putting lipstick on a pig.

Whose job is it to shape the future?

The newly proposed SASM Institute wants to be an innovation launch pad for Science and Art projects using the power of Social Media.

The article Can Futurists shape the Future?  describes the intentions of the organization. In a discussion forum I’m part of about the article, the ethical question was asked about whether it was appropriate for futurists to shape the future vs predict it.

My bias…Individuals and organizations throughout history and the world today are shaping the future through their bias. And those on the other side are responding with their bias.

The future will happen whether we consciously participate in its creation or not. Not participating seems like a negligent response.

If we can imagine a future based on what we believe will be technically possible it’s important to discuss it, including the social implications. Creative exploration with imagined technologies will only broaden the possibilities.

Too often technologies and behaviors are introduced before there has been enough time for people contemplate and socialize them. Western society especially gets caught in a trend trap that has them quickly adopting things before understanding their long term implications. Take the issues with gene patenting going on presently.

Using the climate as another example, there are plenty of predictive tools looking at data today predicting global warming. How people respond to the information depends on their bias. Some focus on the cause, blame, prevention, adapting, denying, profit… Biases are usually self-serving; it’s human nature.

Imagining and shaping the future is everyone’s business; not just futurists.

 
The above image shows five dispositions associated with creativity. The image is taken from an *OECD Creativity Working Paper, Progression in Student Creativity in School: First steps towards new forms of formative assessment.

The paper attempts to define and assess creativity. The result is that learners can display the full range of their creative dispositions in a wide variety of contexts.

The image was introduced to a discussion forum I’m part of with the question “Is it your opinion that the characteristics represented in this wheel also apply to strategic foresight?”  My response…This absolutely applies to strategic foresight. It addresses the softer side of strategy which isn’t always easily articulated. So much attention in the past has been paid to the quantitative and analytical aspects of strategy; which I consider infrastructure.

As time moves forward and more infrastructures are in place, the softer more qualitative aspects of strategy will become more valuable. We’re already seeing this with valued attention towards user experience, for which these qualities are key.

At the very least this provides a framework perspective worth reviewing.

The Five Creative Dispositions Model (taken directly from the paper)

The five dispositions on which we decided to focus were arrived at after careful weighing up of the pros and cons of existing lists of creative dispositions in the light of our criteria. Our model explored the following five core dispositions of the creative mind:1.

Inquisitive
Clearly creative individuals are good at uncovering and pursing interesting and worthwhile questions in their creative domain.

• Wondering and questioning – beyond simply being curious about things, the questioning individual poses concrete questions about things. This enables him, and others, to think things through and develop new ideas.
• Exploring and investigating – questioning things alone does not lead to creativity. The creative individual acts out his curiosity through exploration, and the investigating individual follows up on her questions by actively going out, seeking, and finding out more.
• Challenging assumptions – a degree of appropriate scepticism is an important trait of the creative individual. This means not taking things at face value without critical examination.

Persistent
In line with Thomas Edison’s remark above, this section has been repeatedly emphasized.

• Sticking with difficulty – persistence in the form of tenacity is an important habit of mind enabling an individual to get beyond familiar ideas and come up with new ones.
• Daring to be different – creativity demands a certain level of self-confidence as a pre-requisite for sensible risk-taking as well as toleration of uncertainty.
• Tolerating uncertainty – being able to tolerate uncertainty is important if an individual is going to move ‘off of the starting blocks’ on a project or task where actions or even goals are not fully set out.3.

Imaginative
At the heart of a wide range of analyses of the creative personality is the ability to come up with imaginative solutions and possibilities.

• Playing with possibilities – developing an idea involves manipulating it, trying it out, improving it.
• Making connections – this process of synthesising brings together a new amalgam of disparate things.
• Using intuition – the use of intuition allows individuals to make new connections and arise at thoughts and ideas that would not necessarily materialise given analytical thinkingalone.4.

Collaborative
Many current approaches to creativity, such as that of John-Steiner (2006), stress the social and collaborative nature of the creative process.

• Sharing the product – this is about the creative output itself impacting beyond its creator.
• Giving and receiving feedback – this is the propensity to want to contribute to the ideas of others, and to hear how one’s own ideas might be improved.
• Cooperating appropriately – the creative individual co-operates appropriately with others.  means working collaboratively as needed, not necessarily all the time.5.

Disciplined
As a counterbalance to the ‘dreamy’, imaginative side of creativity, there is a need for knowledge and craft in shaping the creative product and in developing expertise.

• Developing techniques – skills may be established or novel but the creative individual will practise in order to improve. This is about devoting time to a creative endeavour.
• Reflecting critically – once ideas have been generated, evaluation is important. We could call this ‘converging’. It requires decision-making skills.
• Crafting and improving – this relates to a sense of taking pride in one’s work. The individual pays attention to detail, corrects errors, and makes sure the finished article works perfectly, as it should.

The below image details the relevance of the rings which are associated with skill level.

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*disclaimer- I only scanned the 46 page paper