Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Exponential Humanity: Overcoming Challenges to Sanity and Survival in the 21st Century

Originally presented in a talk at the Department of Humanities and the Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay – Jan. 31, 2013

Abstract
Because of the socio-culturally accumulative nature of human knowledge in all its forms, we humans qualify as what Alfred Korzybski called a “time-binding” class of life—exponential by our very nature. As time-binders, we can communicate experience from one individual, group, or generation to another. By this means we have the potential to start where others have left off. This article explores the time-binding roots of the exponential change that has become notable as a major feature of our present so-called 'civilized' life around the globe, with its accelerating accelerations and resulting bottlenecks and breakdowns. I suggest a korzybskian approach to conscious time-binding, sanity, and survival during this dynamic and challenging period of human history. 

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