What Kevin Kelly learned from being in a different century

The main insight from Kevin Kelly's experience in a different century is that technology gives us choices and options. In the past, people's occupations were predetermined and limited. For example, men were expected to be farmers or blacksmiths, while women were expected to be wives and mothers. If they ventured out of their small towns, they would end up in slums. However, with technology, people now have the freedom to choose their careers - whether it be a web designer, yoga teacher, or mortgage broker. This freedom of choice was something people in the past did not have, despite strong family support and good identity. Technology has thus enabled us to have more choices in life.

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Simen Strøm Braaten

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Kevin Kelly (@kevin2kelly) helped launch and edit Wired magazine. He has written for The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, among many other publications.

He is the author of the new book Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier. Other books by Kevin Kelly include Out of Control, the 1994 classic book on decentralized emergent systems; The Silver Cord, a graphic novel about robots and angels; What Technology Wants, a robust theory of technology; Vanishing Asia, his 50-year project to photograph the disappearing cultures of Asia, and The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future, a New York Times bestseller.

Kevin is currently co-chair of The Long Now Foundation, which is building a clock in a mountain that will tick for 10,000 years. He also has a daily blog; a weekly podcast about cool tools; and a weekly newsletter, Recomendo, a free, one-page list of six very brief recommendations of cool stuff. He is also a Senior Maverick at Wired. He lives in Pacifica, California.

Please enjoy!

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[05:51] Is Kevin Kelly the most interesting man in the world?

[08:37] Kevin’s long bet against the human population.

[15:00] Out Of Control.

[19:34] Why did it take 11 years to complete The Silver Cord?

[24:28] 1,000 True Fans.

[29:48] Kevin’s failed campaign to discover all the species of life on Earth.

[31:31] Stewart Brand.

[36:20] Ressurecting extinct species.

[39:38] Why Kevin believes optimists shape the future.

[42:48] Active optimism vs. passive optimism.

[46:39] What constitutes progress?

[48:18] Is regression inevitable if we don’t embrace “degrowth?”