Guiding principles

Framing

As befits a community that is focused on radically transformative technological trends and their potential impacts on society and the future, we are guided by an overarching set of principles that ensure we remain at the cutting edge of creative thinking, while actively embracing novel modes of engagement, community building, and impact.

These are intended to ensure that the Future of Being Human initiative remains distinct from, but complimentary to, other future-focused initiatives; that it is field-defining rather than field-following; that it draws on expertise, knowledge and insights that transcend disciplinary boundaries; that it attracts creative and visionary thinkers irrespective of any subjective societal value placed on their worth; and that it has wide-ranging societal relevance and impact through the people and communities it touches.

Principles

Our guiding principles include:

Obsessive Curiosity Reveling in the joy of discovery; finding awe and wonder in new knowledge; always asking questions and assuming there is more to learn, that conventional wisdom is transitory, and that intellectual and ideological humility are necessary for socially beneficial progress.

Radical Creativity Enthusiastically embracing unconventional, fantastic, and whimsical possibilities; imaginatively pushing the boundaries of how the future is envisioned; being excited by new ideas and visions—especially where they challenge established thinking; and fearlessly exploring where we are heading to and where we might end up as individuals and as a species.

Respectful Inclusivity Actively transcending conventional, implicit, and socialized perspectives of someone’s worth, value, and ability to make meaningful contributions to new ideas; recognizing that everyone has the potential to bring valuable insights to exploring the future of being human; having the humility to respectfully listen to and engage with people who look, think, believe, and behave differently; and embracing and celebrating difference.

Grounded exuberance Freely and joyfully exploring the fantastical and pushing at the boundaries of conventional thinking, while remaining grounded in the constraints that the universe we inhabit places on possibilities.

Catalytic Serendipity Deeply valuing the transformative nature of serendipitous insights and discoveries that arise from casual and unexpected situations, conversations, and interactions, and actively working to translate these into societally beneficial impacts.