When History Overflows, Build a Lifeboat

“Instead of thinking of our times as Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (ie., VUCA, an older framework that arose in the late 1980s)… we need to see ourselves as having entered a phase change where things are boiling… Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear and Incomprehensible (BANI)… Brittle gets countered by Bendable, as in flexibility and resilience, such as alternative sourcing and disaster plans. Anxiety can be met by Acceptance, empathy for what others experience, and an attempt not to use anger and fear to respond to anger and fear. Nonlinearity needs Neuroflexibility, the capacity to improvise, think critically, and reject scripted responses. And we can push back against Incomprehensibility with Inclusion of multiple, diverse perspectives and ideas… The waves of change that are coming are too big for any of us to stop. So build lifeboats: build community, strengthen friendships, and look for ways to involve people different than just your own tribe in shared activity.”