Paneugenesis is about redesigning reality for a better future through the generation of comprehensive improvements by creating pervasive reciprocal, selfish, selfless, synergistic interactions so everyone and everything benefits. Here is an example of a possible Operationalized Idealized Outcome as envisioned by Ford as reported by FastCompany on 05.24.19
The internet loves freaking out about bipedal androids, so by now you’ve probably seen Ford’s video showing a mantis-like robot that can unfold itself from the back of a delivery van and walk a package up onto a suburbanite’s porch. Ford is billing the bot–named “Digit” and created by Oregon-based Agility Robotics–as an ingenious solution to the so-called “last yard” problem in automated package delivery.
In short: A self-driving van can get your Amazon crap from the fulfillment center to your address, but what about covering the ground from the curb to your door? That’s when a pair of legs and hands comes in handy.
[Photo: Ford]
Other companies have explored the autonomous robot/car partnership concept. Continental and Anybotics accomplish the same thing with a doglike droid covering the last yard. Of course, the dog-bot’s lack of hands forces it to “deliver” a box by somewhat clumsily dumping it sideways off of its back. Digit may lack actual digits–its arms end in knobby rubberized spheres–but it can deliver packages to a doorstep much more sensically, simply by doing it the same way the FedEx delivery person would.Still, there is the creep factor. Ford’s video spends considerable effort making Digit seem harmless and normal. (Did you see how the woman and her daughter totally didn’t seem bothered by it? Me too!) But let’s get real: When emerging from the back of its van, Digit looks less like your friendly neighborhood delivery person than a headless mechatronic wasp hatching from an egg.
Then again, drones looked off-puttingly insectile at first, too, until everyone got more used to seeing them. There might even be a paradoxical logic to having Digit look like the unholy lovechild of an ostrich and a praying mantis. Bipedal robot technology is in an awkward stage between functional in principle and actually useful, and the only way to bridge that gap is by iterating in the real world. Like an early-stage self-driving car, Digit moves cautiously, and its “workflow” still appears relatively fragile. If the robot were designed to look more “finished,” people might overestimate its capabilities and interact with it in ways that would result in a lot of embarrassing failures. Instead, Digit looks like something experimental that you wouldn’t want to interfere with–which could be helpful in an early pilot phase.
In fact, having delivery androids appear ever-so-slightly intimidating might end up being a purposeful feature, not a bug. People, after all, love to abuse robots–so what’s to stop some smartass from grabbing the package right out of Digit’s hands and making off with it? I don’t know about you, but I’d think twice about messing with a headless mechatronic wasp that’s just trying to do its job.
When we drop a rock in a pond it causes a far reaching ripple. Our actions also cause a ripple that spreads and has a far reaching ripple or impact. Drawdown is the by-Product of a better tomorrow. By drawdown, in the book edited by Paul Hawken, they are talking about how to drawdown the carbon emissions that are causing problems.
The actions discussed in the book, “Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming“, make a better today and a better tomorrow. Drawdown is the ripple, not the only impact. A way to make a better tomorrow, starting today, has been outlined by Paul Hawken and a great group of colleagues. The book itemizes 100 examples of how to start to make this happen.
Chad Frischmans TED Talk below provides a summary of the 100 solutions provided in the book.
I always thought my work and focus has been about how to create a better tomorrow by discovering the most effective, efficient and sustainable way to get what we want that also benefits the future. The concept is similar to how Rory Vader explains how to multiply time. As he explains, take action today to make a better tomorrow (see Be Fruitful and Multiply – Time That is…).
As I continue to learn, I realized it is “All about the Ripple”. To feel good for doing good, the ripple, or long term impact, must also be beneficial. In other words, to add to Vaden’s goal, to focus actions that can be taken today, that will make a better tomorrow…For Everyone and Everything.”
It is possible to create a better today that also makes a better tomorrow more likely, however traditional ways must be improved. Drawdown is the “Moneyball (also a Movie of the same name)” or better way for the environment, like Upcycle. Better ways have also been found for education, business, industry, health and policy (see Concept: Create More Good, Not Just Less Bad and Create More Good, Not Just Less Bad (described in video). We can ask ourselves, what ripple happens because of the actions taken?
We are not using the ideas outlined by Hawken and Frischman as commonly as we should because skeptics let us doubt ourselves. To instill doubt they focus on the unknown since we can’t answer ever question. Skeptics have been using the idea of doubt to distort our reality for a corporate agenda.
Krugman recently has gotten so frustrated by this he calls the climate deniers depravers. That is he is accusing them of moral corruption. I encourage you read his 11-26-2018 article, The Depravity of Climate-Change Denial: Risking civilization for profit, ideology and ego. I am confused by this approach because doing this means they do not get as many benefits either. These shortsighted approaches leave a lot “on the table”. More benefits will transpire when the aim is to have a positive ripple beyond the initial impact.
What can be done? Dr. Pinillos, a professor at Arizona State University suggests using probability in his article, Knowledge, Ignorance and Climate Change. As he explains, because we can’t know everything and we also know that we don’t know everything, he recommends we “…to stop talking about “knowledge” and switch to talking about probabilities”. As he explains, “…people in the grips of skepticism are often still willing to accept the objective probabilities…”
Plans are not perfect and no matter how smart or educated we are, what we don’t know far surpasses anything we do know. Socrates taught us the virtue of recognizing our limitations. The ideas presented by Paul Hawken and Chris Frischman are ones we should already be using so lets get started using them and continue to collect data about those actions and improve as needed. In other words, plot our progress and if it is not happening, we must optimize the process again ( seeImprove when Predict, Observe, Get Feedback, and Adjust.
Doing this isn’t always easy. It is easy to be against something, fight against a perceived injustice or what seems wrong. Although doing this is morally correct and necessary, it is mostly action to stop something. Then what? Being for something takes more effort to persistently develop, design and implement and continually improve by creating a better way that not only is initially good, but also has A POSITIVE RIPPLE.
So what am I doing, I am going on offense by working toward renewing, rebuilding, restoring, and regenerating by building a better life that also has a positive ripple. Not just a less bad life, but a better life than where we are. This isn’t about putting out fires to get us back where we were, it is about a redesign to create a new and better reality that makes life better today and tomorrow. We must exceed expectations!
Joining these efforts, not only means you get to experience the benefits a better world, you get the intrinsic rush of knowing you contributed toward everyone and everything doing better. Please share your thoughts. I look forward to hearing about the how you practice paneugenesis so you will generate all good by creating net-positive, pervasive, reciprocal, selfish, selfless, synergistic interactions so everyone and everything benefits.
For some time I have been thinking about the importance of perceived fairness. Evidence suggests fairness is innate because we see it in very young children. I also believe I have seen the concept of fairness in my dogs. Is it a law such that even dogs want fairness?
As I had been thinking about it, I learned about Michael Lewis’s new Podcast, Against the Rules. This podcast promotes itself by explaining how it will “…look at what’s happened to fairness. The podcasts look in financial markets, newsrooms, basketball games, courts of laws and much more. He asks, what happens to a world where everyone hate the referee?” I have only listened to a few, however what I have heard have been great!
To me, fairness is a basic necessity or a precursor to being able to do better than what is expected or what have been called best practices. For me fairness is the 0 I emphasize in my exceeding expectations video (below).
Please share your thoughts about how we can build fairness into our daily lives so people don’t feel cheated. When things aren’t fair, everybody loses something because the cumulative benefits, though tilted toward one party, will still be less for all. I will continue to work at generating comprehensive improvements beyond just being fair through the creation of pervasive, reciprocal, selfish, selfless, synergistic interactions so everyone and everything benefits, or by practicing paneugenesis. I look forward to hearing about the how you help generate all good for everyone and everything.
Positive Health Leadership 