antaur
Marcus Druen here, aka antaur. I've been on a rollercoaster lately. A darker-than-average winter, car troubles, a forced house move, and an adolescent son who created a storm for which there are no parental playbooks; he grapples with his version of inter-generational trauma for which there is no easy way out. With five consecutive days of sunshine, I'm filling up with renewed optimism – not just about the weather, but about the potential for technology to shape a brighter future.
About 18 months ago, I stumbled upon Marc Andreessen's Techno-Optimist Manifesto. As an internet pioneer, Andreessen paints an enticing picture of how technology can solve many of the world's problems. His vision resonated with me just like Netscape did in 1995 when I thought my generation would change the world with the Internet. 30 years later, I find his vision cocky and incomplete, like a teenager who doesn't have quite an adult maturity yet.
You see, I've spent years exploring psychedelics and ancient wisdom traditions incl. Stoicism and Buddhism. A common thread emerged: despite our best intentions, the techno-optimism of our ancestors created unintended consequences, especially those second and third-order effects. Patriarchy is arguably a by-product of the invention of the humble plow. No technological solution can save us from the value system of late-stage capitalism that has created the meta-crisis. Again, there is no easy way out.
I've come to believe that true progress lies at the intersection of three powerful practices:
Techno-Optimism: Embracing technology's potential to create a better future.
Ancient Wisdom: Drawing on timeless teachings to understand human nature and learn from past unintended consequences.
Inner Work: Cultivating self-awareness and healing in the present moment.
This triad might offer a holistic approach to life. Techno-optimism propels us forward, while ancient wisdom grounds us in timeless truths. Inner work bridges the gap, allowing us to make conscious choices in the here and now.
To make this concept practical, I've developed the ABC framework:
Agency: Choosing to be an active creator of my life, not a passive victim.
Beauty: Striving to create beauty for myself and others through conscious innovation.
Connection: Staying deeply connected to myself, others, and the bigger picture.
By applying this framework in each moment, I can harness the power of technology while remaining grounded in wisdom and mindfulness.
We must embrace techno-optimism, but with a critical eye and unwavering commitment to our own agency. The device you're reading this on showcases human ingenuity, and I made artwork with Leonardo, my latest Ai toy. Yet we can't repeat the mistakes of social media, handing our power to centralised (AI) companies. If facebook stole your attention, Chat GPT will come for your soul.
The path forward isn't easy – it demands that we support and lean into decentralised AI, even if it's less convenient or more expensive initially. This choice preserves our autonomy and shapes a future we can hand-off to our children and be able to say we did the best to our knowledge, capabilities, consciousness and situation at hand. It's a challenging road, but one that better aligns with ancient wisdom and the laws of nature. I have written about the difference between decentralised and effective acceleration before. The game is d/acc vs. e/acc in tech bro lingo.
Every innovation solves a problem, but it can also unleash unintended "beasts" down the line. By staying connected to something greater than ourselves – to love, nature, to collective consciousness, to timeless truths – we increase our chances of creating lasting beauty rather than temporary fixes that cause more harm.
My pinnacle of beauty and connection in that dark winter was marrying the love of my life. What started as a tax return simplification idea turned out to be one of most meaningful acts of agency.
As I bask in the newfound sunshine, I'm filled with hope. Not a blind optimism, but a grounded belief that by combining technological progress with ancient wisdom and inner work, we can co-create a future that's truly beautiful for all. It might take those seven generations so we won't harvest the fruits of doing the hard thing - but it's a future worth believing in.
What innovations are you excited about? What kind of ancestor do you want to become? How can you start to get your own house in order? I'd love to hear your thoughts as we navigate this journey together.
You can experience my techno-optimism in one of the next cohorts of my weekend seminar.
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