Reward-Driven Culture

Neuropsychiatrist Peter Whybrow discusses the impact that evolutionary brain development has on the economy in this innovation through scarcity keynote.

He explains that the human brain functions at its highest potential when there is a shortage of resources as a need arises to find a solution to a problem when the supplies that are needed for survival are dwindling.

Society as a whole, he argues, is focused predominantly on short-term future goals rather than long-term planning and thinking about the bigger picture. One of the main takeaways from Whybrow's innovation through scarcity keynote is that too often society consumes everything available to them when in a period of abundance rather than budgeting their resources.

Instead of consuming a steady intake of goods and services despite the economic climate, people are more apt to find innovative and novel solutions when they are faced with a shortfall of resources.