Facing the Future Without Fear

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks gives a TED TALK about the current state of politics and society, and how humanity can progress towards a better future.

Rabbi Sacks talks about how politics and religion are currently fueled by anxiety, fear, and uncertainty, and brings up the question: what can we do to face the future without fear? He believes that in the future, anthropologists will study this generation and realize that we are living in times of "the self, the me, the I." While this is liberating and empowering, we often forget that humans are biologically social animals. He proposes three ways to switch to an "us" mentality. The first is an "us" of relationship, where people recognize that they can strongly disagree with one another but remain friends. Surrounding oneself with people and ideas that agree with one's own views can accelerate extremism. The second is forming an "us" of identity – because America is based in immigration, the country always told a story of its identity. The country has since stopped telling this story, and as a result its identity is weak and it is less welcoming to strangers. The final proposal is emphasizing the "us" of responsibility – that we all have collective responsibility in bettering our collective future.

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks believes that to strengthen the future "you," one must strengthen the future "us." As a result, we can face any future without fear, as long as we know we won't face it alone.