Session 4

Outline of Lesson
For the first half of the lesson, we discussed the various Drivers of World Change- Environmental Drivers; Scientific Discovery and Tech Innovation; Social, Cultural and Ideological Innovation; Commercial Innovation; Competition; Globalization and Changing Expectations. I thought it was interesting how all the different forces of society interacted and moved towards a certain line of change.

For the second half, we explored the various methods of reacting to change. This can be classified into three broad categories:
#1. Make it happen.
#2. Respond to change.
#3. Be surprised.
Which in other words is to be pro-actice, to be re-active, and to be ‘blur’.
#1 is usually practiced by Leaders; and #2 by Managers.

Interesting Points
I found it ironical how Plague could be an example of world change - how it caused the need for a cure, thus eventually pushed society to research and develop a cure for it, in the process advancing medical technology significantly. Prior to the success, however, it was not all rosy- society turned to religion and superstition as a cure for the plague. This did not facilitate any technological advancement at all. I found this symbolic of the tussle between Science and Religion; just at the tip of the iceberg of many more complex issues today.

Food for Thought
Religion vs Science: Can the two ever exist in harmony? I would think so. I believe religion and faith is a complement of science; providing humans with the security of the unknown- something which cannot be proven or broken down into predictable concepts by Science. Science is crucial for development and progress, to tangibly improve the standard of living of the world. Religion at the very least, arguably has practical purposes of instilling hope within individuals, inspiring them to perhaps work for a better life – which may cause the economy to grow. More fundamentally, religion also reinforces largely positive values, which ultimately increases the welfare of society. In Freakonomics, it is mentioned that a study by Angus Deaton found that higher religiosity among the elderly may be due to aging effects as opposed to simply secularization of younger generations. Religious people view themselves as more fit, reporting better health, more energy, and less pain. (Perhaps prayer is a substitute for complaining?)

Rating for this lesson: 7/10
The lesson and presentations were insightful, but I guess the small mix-up in the number of presenters resulted in the discussions having to be kept shorter, in order to keep within the class time.