why the world feels broken
living in systems that no longer fit
Many things in this world don’t seem to make sense anymore. It can often feel like there are no longer any rules. This is because the processes and systems we use to understand, decode, and communicate no longer apply to the day-to-day aspects of our lives.
Modern life feels increasingly frustrating, not just because it’s busy, but because so much of it seems nonsensical. The structures and systems we rely on—education, work, government, even social interactions—were built for a world that no longer exists. We are trying to solve today’s problems with yesterday’s tools, patterns, and approaches, and the result is inefficiency, frustration, and a growing sense that things have changed in a way that is difficult to perceive or articulate. We often can no longer relate to one another.
Outdated Systems in a New World
We operate within frameworks designed for the industrial age: rigid schedules, hierarchical institutions and standardized processes. But in an era of rapid technological advancement, global connectivity, and shifting cultural values, these old models no longer align with how we actually live.
Workplaces still prioritize hours over output – Remote work has shown that productivity isn’t about sitting in an office, yet many companies insist on outdated metrics of performance.
Education remains structured for factory workers – Schools still emphasize memorization and uniformity, even though creativity, adaptability, and critical thinking are the real skills needed today.
Bureaucracy slows progress – Governments and corporations rely on policies built for a pre-digital world, creating inefficiencies that lead to frustration, delays, and disillusionment.
The Cognitive Dissonance of Modern Life
This mismatch between outdated systems and modern realities creates a constant sense of cognitive dissonance. We’re expected to play by rules that no longer make sense. We spend hours on hold with customer service, fill out redundant paperwork, and follow rigid career paths that don’t match our actual goals or lifestyles.
At the same time, technology advances faster than our ability to adapt. Automation replaces jobs before new career paths are clear. AI accelerates almost every aspect of information management, but the institutions responsible for governing it remain slow and outdated. We’re living in a world where change happens rapidly, yet the systems meant to support us are frozen in time.
The End of Industrialism and the Rise of the Digital Age
One way to contextualize this widespread cognitive dissonance is by looking at industrial revolution transitions. While some argue over how to categorize them, I assert that we are at the end of industrialism itself, entering a fully post-industrial, digital era—one with its own unique symptoms for both society and individuals.
A Brief Review of Industrial Revolutions:
IR1 - First Industrial Revolution (1760-Early 1800s): Steam, coal, steel, mechanization.
IR2 - Second Industrial Revolution (Early 1800s-Mid 1900s): Electricity, oil/gas, mass communication.
IR3 - Third Industrial Revolution (Mid 1900s-2000): Integrated circuitry, nuclear energy, genetics, Internet.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution and Beyond
The concept of IR4 is debated. It was first introduced by Klaus Schwab, President of the World Economic Forum, in 2016, and remains somewhat controversial (it is sometimes referenced in conspiracy theories as an elitist agenda). However, the fundamental idea behind any industrial shift is the transition of work from the hand (or the animal) to the tool (or the machine).
I argue that the industrial age effectively ended with the detonation of the Trinity nuclear test on July 16, 1945, at 11:29:21 GMT. This act, which harnessed atomic energy at a literal astronomical scale, serves as a symbolic punctuation mark on the era of industrialization. From that moment forward, humanity entered a new reality—one shaped by nuclear energy, space exploration, genetics, computers, and the Internet.
These advancements have made us post-human in many respects. We achieved the ability to decode and design genetic structures, leave Earth for the first time, and connect on a global scale through digital communications. Our relationship with technology has shifted from reliance to integration.
The Challenge of Being Biological in a Digital World
The rapid pace of digital innovation far exceeds our biological ability to adapt. While our lives are increasingly electronic, wired, and mediated, we remain human beings shaped by evolution—a process that moves far slower than technological progress. The Baby Boom generation was the first to be born into this post-industrial reality, and every generation since has continued the transition, shifting their weight from one foot in the past to a step into the immediate future. But it is a bumpy ride that we are not built for. It will take us time to design our lives around it.
