1-Sentence-Summary: The Sovereign Individual jumps into the future and presents a new world where life moves into the online environment, where the cybereconomy rules and governments are struggling to control the people like they used to, all through a revolution more powerful than anything we’ve seen before.
Read in: 4 minutes
Favorite quote from the author:
The Agricultural Revolution brought increases in food production and made it possible for humans to live in groups larger than bands or tribes. It also introduced a new way of life based on farming rather than hunting and gathering.
Other revolutions, such as the Industrial one also shaped new communities and ways of living. However, neither of them led to as great a change in human life as we anticipate will occur with the advent of information technology.
What the future holds is as uncertain as ever. The Sovereign Individual takes a wild guess at what our lives will look like in a matter of years by analyzing the impact technology and the digital revolution already have on our world.
Here are three of my favorite lessons from the book:
- Technology is already shaping a new world where we communicate 24/7 and filter our information and news outlets.
- We will have to reorganize ourselves in the new technology era, as our dependence on governments decreases significantly.
- People are already expressing their wishes to be ruled by morality, sustainability, and a no-violence, free state.
Let’s educate ourselves on these topics by exploring each lesson in detail below!
Lesson 1: Information technology is changing the way we socialize and will contribute to innovation in communication.
This revolution will have a profound effect on all aspects of our lives and will eventually lead us into an age of abundance. The new technologies that are emerging as part of this revolution are already beginning to transform our economy and society in many ways.
They are allowing us to produce goods and services in less time and with less labor than ever before possible, increasing productivity, all while making it possible for people everywhere around the world to communicate with each other instantly.
For this reason, the breakthrough innovation that comes with IT is impossible to overlook. Access to the internet is already facilitating communication within seconds worldwide, and digital assets are following suit. Crypto is replacing traditional money, and social media transcends borders.
The result? People are less and less dependent on the authorities of central governance. Information spreads rapidly, and so people are starting to create their means of communication and channels. We often filter our knowledge and find our own sources. Needless to say, this is where we’re heading as a people.
Lesson 2: Technology allows us to depend less and less on governments in our everyday affairs.
In the digital age, states can no longer exert violence upon their citizens and hope that they obey their rules. The nation-state emerged way back in history as a social contract between representatives and citizens.
States provided guidance, legal bodies that implemented social norms and rules, safety, and a community guided by central laws. In return, citizens pay taxes and contribute to the state’s prosperity. Sounds good? Well, that’s what everyone thought, till states started acting like independent bodies and ruling their citizens.
We are now treated as consumers and the value we receive from states drops constantly. As a result, people drift away from these institutions and create their own forms of governance. Cryptocurrencies are one solid example of this scenario.
This might seem like a good thing, but it creates a new problem for us: as our reliance on the government decreases and our dependence on technology increases, we become more vulnerable.
We have to reconsider how we organize ourselves to be safer in this new reality. So, how are we reorganizing ourselves?
Lesson 3: Humanity will move toward a new form of organization, one that is governed by morality and no violence.
As the world becomes increasingly more globalized and interconnected and our dependability on technology increases, we can notice a drop in religious behaviors and our trust in the media or the nation-state. Still, it’s important to remember that people crave a sense of belonging.
A key way in which they will form it is through identifying with a group and sharing a collective morality—one that is focused on efficiency, character, and trustworthiness.
This is not to say that religion will no longer play a role in forming these groups; rather, it’s an opportunity for those who are religious to find common ground with those who are not. In the new world that is forming right under your sight, charities are already seeking individuals to prove their trustworthiness.
The cancel culture is already happening with all those who don’t go by the community’s rules. New moral standards are being written and they seek to make justice between the ultra-rich, corporations, states, and individuals.
Our new standards will include productivity, adequate distribution of wealth (still under the capitalist’s rules), morality, sustainability, and banning violence. If that sounds fairer and better for you too, it’s because it is! Activists are already raising awareness for these norms, and it’s because we as a people want to live as such.
The Sovereign Individual Review
As history is being written right before our eyes, it’s essential to take part in it and contribute to the world we want to live in. The Sovereign Individual takes the reader on a journey in the future.
It shows us how the world will look once the nation-state loses its power and authority. We can already see that happening as people no longer trust banks, corporations, or news outlets.
The book is shaping a future in which we are in charge of our own decisions. It is truly a remarkable read for anyone who wants to take a glimpse into their future lives.
Who would I recommend The Sovereign Individual summary to?
The 30-year-old activist who is looking for a lecture to support their views, the 22-year-old crypto enthusiast, or the 40-year-old politician who wants to understand the wind of change.
