| So
you're walking downtown. At first you don't notice.
Something's strange, but you can't put your finger
on it. Then it hits you: The buildings around you
are resting solidly on air! The foundations have somehow
disappeared, but the buildings still stand. This is
a frightening situation. You're not sure what to do
about it. What's more, you've just arrived at the
building you work in. Should you go in? Won't it crumble
beneath you? What's going on?
This
scenario mirrors the cultural shift that is taking
place today. We once lived in a modern age where
the foundations were solid as rock. We trusted these
foundations and built empires on them. But they're
eroding. Why?
Remember
when God (or Providence or Evolution) was leading
us toward a new and better tomorrow? Remember when
there was one best way to do things, and the trick
was to find it? Remember when the institutions we
depended on -- government, church, school, community,
family -- were unshakable institutions we could
rely on from cradle to grave? No more. It isn't
that these institutions no longer exist. They do,
but they vary from house to house, town to town.
There isn't one best way. There isn't one best answer.
There isn't one best anything.
We're
living in a postmodern world. We don't know what
that means yet. All we know is that what we have
now is not the same thing we had had before. We're
"aftermodern." We've deconstructed all the foundations
of the modern world to see how they were put together
in the first place. It's been a fascinating task,
and we've been very successful. Problem is we don't
know anything about building foundations. We just
know how to take them apart. For now, we have to
hope that foundations aren't necessary for building.
We have to hope that our castles in the sky won't
crash beneath us.
I,
for one, intend to give much thought to this strange
predicament of our times. I don't believe in fixed
foundations. I don't believe in one right way. But
I must confess: I do believe some sort of foundation
will probably be necessary, even if it's a shifting
one. I also believe that some way is better
than no way even if it's notthe way.
We're in some danger just now. We're beginning to
dis-integrate. We're falling apart at the seams
in every possible way. Governments are falling apart.
Traditional businesses are falling apart. Belief
systems, universities, families -- all falling apart.
You are falling apart.
Maybe
we can find a way to "dis-integrate" together? Maybe
we can unite in uncoupling ourselves from the lifestyles
and mindstyles which produced our modern age. Perhaps
we can explore our separateness together. If we
can, then there may be the opportunity to develop
a new kind of foundation. We won't call it a foundation,
of course. We'll call it something new, something
we haven't thought of yet. We'll find a name for
the loose structure that ties us together without
forming any single connection between any two of
us. The Internet is the first experiment in this
new kind of structure. It's only just emerging.
It's part of the new foundation, but it's not the
whole thing. In fact, there isn't any "whole" thing
anymore. But there are some things, and we've only
seen a glimpse of what they are or will be.
Copyright
© 2000 Kevin Giovanetto All Rights Reserved
Kevin
Giovanetto is the President/CEO of Cyberdesic, a
Web consulting firm which helps large corporations
adjust to the rapidly changing business space of
the postmodern world.
Read
Max Podstolski's Perspective on the
Discussion
Board.
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