The tragedy of VUCA: flatline

The concept of “VUCA” was originally introduced by the U.S. Army War College in the early 1990s to describe the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity of the world after the Cold War.

1. Volatility: The nature and dynamics of faster and faster change.
2. Uncertainty: The lack of predictability of events, flocks of black swans.
3. Complexity: The interrelated nature of challenges.
4. Ambiguity: The haziness of understanding situations.

Today, we have entered a new era marked by exponentially increased VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity), but also by the advent of what I call “4D” :

1. Disconnection: Constant noise, coupled with multiple shocks and insufficient time for mourning, acceptance, and learning, leads to a psychological flatline. This disconnection occurs on various levels: from ourselves, from others, from the planet and Mother Nature, and even from our own talents, professional projects, common good, or community progress. It manifests as a constant reptilian brain “survival mode.” Although we are more “connected” to social media and the world than ever before, to drugs, medication and alcohol, we are paradoxically more disconnected than ever today. We cannot achieve much with disconnected enslaved individuals.
2. Disengagement: Massive resignation and job rotation, demotivation, absenteeism, and a loss of courage and faith, even worse, in life itself. Disengagement extends to politics and citizenship due to a history of deceptive political discourses, empty promises from advertising, and mass manipulation. Few believe in narratives anymore, and in the best case, our bright youth live day-to-day. It makes it super hard to get people in gear, even on positive projects. People have most difficulty to believe whatever information is around, in an era of fake news, wokism, mass manipulation, and deepfakes.
3. Demography: We face a rapidly aging population and distortion in age pyramids. The West is too old, while Africa and parts of Asia are too young, causing an imbalance. The West struggles to sustain its social model, and other regions lack the skills and self-confidence for their own development. This can lead to massive, unprepared migrations, exacerbating climate-related migrations. What can we do of purpose with and old, “has-been” population that has everything to lose, in this shifting world ? Or with a hungry, incompetent youth with no access to resources, dreaming of fast consumption (in worst case), or a world of solidarity, common thriving and love (in best case) ?
4. Disruption: Disruption is evident in all business areas, functionalities, public services, and sciences. Rather than evolving gradually, things shift dramatically, shock after shock. Our brains struggle to keep up with these rapid shifts, exacerbated by the convergence of multiple challenges simultaneously. The absence of a global systemic or holistic view further complicates our understanding. What can we do with a brainwashed, flatlined, untrained, conditioned population ?

Not much. It is kind of “too late”. Those who have consciously worked on themselves for some years, maybe will survive psychologically and materially. Those who didn’t, will be frontally hit by the next shocks and waves, and drown, submerged.

As the image invites to: we now have to open the box, go out of it, study it, unfold and re-imagine it.

The subtle message of the last decades was — for those who listened: develop self awareness, autonomy, discernment, personal inner strength, leading to project-based action serving community. Those who got trained, good. Those who didn’t… well, get your asses in gear. FAST. Stop victimizing, do not expect ANYTHING from ANYBODY. Count on yourself and on your close trusted community and families. Biological and soul families. Get prepared. A few more rounds of tsunami’s are on the way. Soon.

Join our “Regenerative Islands” — those places in which we built the desired future world, based on benevolence, peace, solidarity, collaboration, common thriving, abundance, autonomy and smart use of resources. Love instead of fear, anxiety, stress, hate and wars.

Extrapreneurs 12th edition starts on 29 March 2024. In 26 countries. Come and check our website : www.kairosmultisolutions.org

Let’s regenerate the world together.

Prof. Michel A. de Kemmeter