Day 4: 7 Billion

So in the run of the day, the number of people alive on planet earth reached 7 billion. This number amazes me when I look back and realize that the number was almost half that when I was born. That means walking down the same street there would be only half as many people. Every second person I pass would not exist (or perhaps I would be the other half).

When I was born the total number of people who had been alive, up till that point, had maybe been 7 billion. So in one instant we are now living every dream, every hope and aspiration that had only 40 years ago taken over 40 000 years to accumulate. We are propelled into a new world not only by the speed of our technologies but also by the size of our expectation. All those new lives need to be filled with meaning.

Does the logarithmic scale indicate an imminent crash? According to Chris Goodall we have already passed some kind of tipping point. In an interesting paradox, the UK is now using the lowest amount of "stuff" since data started being catalogues in 1970. Since the 80's the consumption of everything from raw energy to flat pack furniture has been in steady decline, in spite of population growth. Does this mean we can shape a future where we are satisfied with less? And what will fill the void created by an insatiable consumer society?

Today I started a week long course where the youngest person is 20 and the oldest person is 65. That places me pretty much in the middle of the span of expectations. Each one learning the same skill but taking it into a different world. The student as a way to earn money to support her studies, the pensioner to connect to friends and maintain an active social life. Everyone of us is stepping into a multi-stream life where you are not defined by the one career choice you make, but by how you decide to spend your time with others. I suppose the onslaught of slashies (writer/consultant/party organizer). By taking responsibility for your own contentment (and not outsourcing it to an HR department), we may actually be happier by consuming less.

How are companies preparing for this mobile work force that won't be defined by a simple career ladder, driving to a set destination? How are companies connecting with the real things people value, and their ability to create value through these passions?