Choose how you lean

When it comes to the future, are you optimistic or pessimistic?

As a futurist, this is a question I both ask and answer often. In my role with TCS, I help our teams and clients anticipate and prepare for possible scenarios. This means looking at both positive and negative outcomes and equipping executives with tools to analyze the impact and build new capabilities.

When looking at situations that could be either positive or negative, its natural to lean in one direction. When approaching the question of being an optimist or pessimistic, I reframe the question as, are you a techno-optimist or a techno-pessimist?

A techno-optimist believes that technology can continually be improved and can improve the lives of people, making the world a better place. If you are a techno-optimist, you think technology has consistently improved our lives for the better and is likely to do so in the future. In considering societal problems, you feel that the solution lies in technological innovation.

On the other hand, a techno-pessimist is likely to believe that modern technology has created as many problems for humanity as it has solved. The pessimist believes that seeking more technology is likely to bring about new problems, unforeseen consequences, and dangers. Given that the pessimists see technology creating its own problems, their answer to human progress often lies in a reduction of technological dependence rather than an expansion of it.

Originally posted here:

Why are Futurists so Optimistic About the Future of Work? - Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)