As I was driving down from a client’s place late this evening, a few thoughts crossed my mind.
Yesterday, I had read about Apple’s AR headset that is expected to debut in 2022, and I was pretty excited about it. “Can’t wait”, as they say.
It is rumored to cost upwards of 2,500 dollars.
Today, I was at the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre – or Gujju land, for the uninitiated. Gold and diamond traders pepper the landscape, especially at the Almas Tower, where a never-ending line of luxury cars make their way in and out of a landmark tower.
“I wonder what the owner of that Rolls I just saw waits for”, I thought to myself. What makes him say “can’t wait”?
“Maybe the newer edition of the Rolls, or an LV Supreme collection? I don’t think I would ever be able to afford such things”, I continued.
Hmm…but how many people would be able to afford the Apple AR headset? Or an iPhone? Or a smartphone?
As you go down the rungs, from the 1%, to the 10%, to the 50%, and so on, the wants and needs change dramatically. What one wishes for changes dramatically too. And this gap is only widening.
I had earlier written about 21 Lessons for the 21st century, a book by Yuval Harari. In the book, he predicts that humanity will split into two species – a glorified and material evolution of the haves and have-nots. As technology gallops ahead and makes impressive forays into the bio-space, richer humans will be able to “enhance” themselves. They already do, through plastic surgery and other cosmetic methods.
But this enhancement will be different. Humans will be able to reprogram the genes of their offspring, so as to eliminate natural deficiencies. Over a period of time, those who can afford it will create their own enhanced gene pool, which will have superior capabilities over the others, thus resulting in a different species. Not race. Not tribe or club. A whole new species. No guesses for who will end up being the loser.
So as we gear up to celebrate fewer working hours, and complain about being stuck in traffic, let’s be aware that there are some who earn on a daily basis – the more they work, the more probability of food on their table..our needs are their wants, and their needs we take for granted. If you are reading this, you are in the top percentile of humanity – those who won the lottery of life. Let’s stop complaining and be aware of where we are heading towards.
At least you have a car in which you were stuck in traffic. At least you have a smartphone or a computer, and internet, on which you are able to read this. At least you have food on the table and running water. Some people struggle for all this what we take for granted.
See you tomorrow!