How current do you think you are? Do you think that what you know of as normal was always so? Most people will admit that as time moves on, so too does the idea of normalcy. But what many people are unaware of is just how fast that change happens. In a world that is becoming ever more interconnected because of technological innovations that would have been seen as science fiction only some thirty years ago. What is most scary, when you think about it, is the fact that many of the things that we buy and use are obsolete in a very short time.
“But” you might say, “tech and tools have been advancing rapidly for years, and all we have to do is learn to use a new object. They are often easier to use and are more efficient.” This statement is fairly true, but the biggest thing is that not only are tools evolving at breakneck speeds, but our culture is as well. Thirty years ago, if you wanted to communicate with someone in France, you needed to send a letter in the mail, wait a few weeks for them to get it and respond to it then wait a few more weeks to read their response. Now, you pick up the phone or turn on your computer and you have instant communication with that person in France. Advances like this are a great thing because they bring us all together and do wonders in progressing the human race as a whole. However, the problem with this is that if you are not able to move with and anticipate the changes you will be left in the dust so to speak.
In a world where everyone is interacting with everyone else on levels that used to only be possible in a hometown setting, we need to think globally. That means having an intricate understanding for other cultures (mostly because of the fact that every culture will rub off on one another in some shape or form) and having a deep respect for the fact that what you see as “normal” could be seen as hedonistic to another people.
No one can accurately predict where the future will take us. If you had to ask someone just ten years ago what social networking site was “the future” they would have most likely said “MySpace” or just gave you a confused look as to what the hell a “social networking site” even was. The lesson here is that we need to prepare ourselves to face something that we cannot even dream of right now. This is something that any employer will be facing. Because of this, it will behoove any potential employee to brace themselves for the eminent changes that are to come because as Forrest Gump once said…S#!% Happens.
