Existential risk ☢️

I’ve been thinking a lot about seemingly contradictory perspectives around existential risk:

• We humans are facing enormously complex and dangerous existential problems like unaligned AI superintelligence, nuclear warfare, ecological devastation, and drastic polarization.
• Yet, conditions for a larger portion of humans are better than ever before and continue to improve (as highlighted by Hans Rosling's Factfulness, and numerous global trends).
• Our attempts to improve the world are often projections, a way to evade confronting our personal uncertainties and inner demons. Yet we can also avoid facing our pain by avoiding pain “out there”.
• The constructs we use to frame things are enactive, decisive, and therefore carry ethical implications (eg: Seeing change as a revolution rather than crisis).
• From a mystical perspective, all is one/nondual/God, and thus, nothing can truly be threatened and nothing needs to be done. BUT! This means there is no reason to NOT do things either (all illusions being equally illusory), so we do what we’re called to do.

I think relatefulness helps us synthesize these perspectives. Witnessing and being present with love as it animates us, cleaning up our shadows, and seeing through the illusion—allows for more direct, potent action (or surrender) where needed.

With love, Jordan