Rethinking Our Global Purpose: The Imperative of Defining Our Collective Goals

In a world that seems driven by short-term gains, selfishness, immediate gratifications and a brutal assault on cognition by non-sensical unconnected snippets of visual and audio stimuli, it's increasingly important to pause and reflect on a fundamental question: What are we striving for as a global society? This question is not just philosophical but deeply practical, influencing how we shape our politics, economies, and even our day-to-day lives. The need for societies to figure out our overarching goals – be it good health and for who, achieving certain standards, fostering opportunities for growth, and so on – has never been more critical.

The Predicament of Undefined Goals

Currently, many of our global and local strategies seem to be dictated by the "how" rather than the "what." In the absence of a definition of the "what", the "how" just takes over. In other words, we are caught up in the mechanisms of doing without having defined what our goals are, collectively. This approach leads to a myriad of problems, including short-term tactics that lack grounding in a purpose, no real progression, and a lack of accountability. Politics worldwide becomes a game of power and immediate results, rather than a means to achieve well-defined, long-term objectives that benefit humanity as a whole. People operate within the swim lanes of their personal ambitions and perspectives rather than on the basis of a larger awareness and a desire to lead and contribute to a vision of mankind.

The Power of a Shared Vision

Imagine a world where every decision, policy, and innovation is guided by a shared vision of what we want for humanity. This is not a utopian dream but a practical step towards creating a more focused, efficient, and equitable world. By defining our collective goals, we can align incentives, resources, and systems to achieve these objectives. This alignment is crucial in tackling global challenges such as climate change, poverty, inequality, and health crises.

Initiating a Global Dialogue

Among the first steps in this journey is initiating a deliberate, inclusive, and global dialogue about what humanity wants. This conversation should transcend borders, cultures, and socio-economic divides. It should involve not just political leaders and policymakers but also educators, scientists, business leaders, and, crucially, citizens from all walks of life. The goal is to arrive at a consensus or at least a shared understanding of our collective aspirations.

Aligning Incentives and Systems

Once we have a clearer idea of our shared goals, the next step is to align our incentives and economic, social and political systems accordingly. This alignment means rethinking how we measure success, both at the individual and collective levels. For instance, if one of our goals is good health for all, how do we incentivize not just healthcare systems but also other sectors like education, agriculture, and industry to contribute to this goal?

Rethinking Political Structures

An intriguing aspect of this dialogue is considering what political systems are best suited to achieve these goals. Democracy, autocracy, dictatorship – each has its strengths and weaknesses. The key would be not to advocate for one system over another but to understand how different systems work and how they can can be optimized or reformed to serve our collective objectives. Every country, with its unique cultural, historical, and socio-economic context, can decide the best path forward, keeping that global vision in mind.

The Role of Technology and Innovation

In this endeavor, technology and innovation play a pivotal role. From communication platforms that facilitate global dialogue to data analytics that help us measure progress towards our goals, artificial intelligence that we can bring to bear to help us solve those hairy problems, technology can be a powerful ally in this journey. However, it's crucial to ensure that technological advancements are accessible and beneficial to all, not just a privileged few, and pervade both the public and private sector.

Conclusion: A Call to Action

Defining what we are striving for as a global society is not just an intellectual exercise; it's a practical, urgent necessity. It's about creating a world where every individual has an opportunity to lead a healthy, fulfilling life, and where our collective actions are aligned with our deepest values and aspirations. This journey begins with a conversation – a global, inclusive, and forward-looking dialogue. Let's start this conversation today. If it is already happening somewhere, please speak up.