Surviving Now: Three Options
Navigating a World on Fire—Do We Go Back, Escape Forward, or Stay Present?
Right after the election, I wrote: Are we careening toward self-destruction? Often, it feels absurd to be in the wellness space—teaching people how to squat or breathe deeply while we endure political earthquakes and continue on an ecological collision course. I keep asking: How do we live in these bodies, in this time? How do we sustain ourselves?
“The real problem of humanity is the following: We have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology. And it is terrifically dangerous, and it is now approaching a point of crisis overall.”
—Edward O. Wilson
Living with Tech
Our tech-driven lives pull us into a house of mirrors—distorting reality, heightening paranoia, insecurity, and overwhelm. The only exit? The “Buy Now” button. We are flooded with a nonstop deluge of images and information—cat videos, horrendous wars, a new chicken recipe, and the slow-motion dismantling of institutions. Instead of making our lives better, technology has hijacked our nervous systems. Our dopamine receptors are fried. Our attention spans are shot.
Even before social media became so weaponized, its impact was questionable. We crave connection, yet instead of gathering around a fire, we stare into glowing screens, our bodies hunched, our minds overstimulated. Meanwhile, AI advances faster than we can comprehend, and we still don’t fully grasp what it means to be drowning in this much consumption and waste. Our bodies are overloaded, yet we keep chugging fossil fuels as the planet reaches a tipping point.
But despite the deepfakes, the algorithms, and the metaverse, we still have the body—our biology, an ancient and living intelligence. A walking testament to adaptability, a daily reminder of genetic ingenuity. The body refuses to be left behind, no matter how much technology attempts to replace or transcend it.
So, What Do We Do?
When faced with the chaos of now, we tend to respond in one of three ways:
1️⃣ Chase a Fictional Past – A belief that we were made for another, simpler time.
2️⃣ Armoring up for the future – Through biohacking, wealth accumulation, or tech-fueled escape routes.
3️⃣ Being here now – Staying present, resisting despair, and daring to imagine a better way forward.
In the next post, I’ll explore the first response—Chase a Fictional Past. Why do we romanticize certain eras, and is turning back even an option? Stay tuned.