My current top 10 list for society’s biggest problems; updated only slightly from last year.
- Apathy::: We have the technology to solve most of society’s big problems; we’re missing the will. We are often disconnected from what brings us meaning and what drives our actions.
- Our Environment::: Climate change, pollution, destruction of natural habitats, diminishing resources… exasperated by politics.
- Greed::: We don’t know when enough is enough and its killing us. Wealth gaps slow human advancement.
- Isms::: Especially- ageism, elitism, extremism, racism and sexism. These isms are oppressive, discriminatory and threaten diversity.
- Inequality::: Civil rights, education, gender, income, lifestyle consumption, POLITICS, poverty, race/ethnicity, reproductive rights, sexual orientation, wealth…
- Healthcare::: Cost, access, for profit systems… We need to take better care of our ill.
- Education::: Archaic systems, cultural irrelevancy, cost, accessibility, differing expectations…
- Overpopulation:: Too many people eating up too few resources.
- Distraction::: Our 24/7 access to digital life and non-life, obscures our focus and diverts our attention from the physical here and now.
- Fear::: Fear is a strategy and tactic. Fear takes us off course.
A lot of these problems could be solved if we consistently acted from love and compassion. We need to act on #2 immediately, but it won’t happen without #1. The guardian has an idea, keep it in the ground.