WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR MANKIND ?

http://21stcenturylearning.typepad.com/

As we brace ourselves towards the twenty first century, it is not a bad idea for us to take a moment to take a long, hard look at ourselves and what we have achieved this far. Studying all that has happened in the twentieth century with all its unrest, turmoil, revelations, inconsistencies and sheer excitement, we cannot help but to wonder - are we ready for another century ?

http://www.writeawriting.com

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of
hope, it was the winter of despair; we had a everything before us, we had nothing before us - in short, it has been received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. This immortal passage written by Charles Dickens in "A Tale Of Two Cities" best sums up the twentieth century. As this eventful years draw to a close, we are going to start afresh, in a new, era, with new hopes and new dreams.

Yes, this is all well and good, you may say, but what actually can we expect to see beyond the year 2000 ? Undoubtedly, reality will be very far removed from what we have learnt to expect from futuristic movies and novels.

Nevertheless, many of man's dark premonitions are threatening to come true. As the tired Earth stumbles its way into the 21st century, it carries with it the burdens of overpopulations, global warming and a sick environment. The words "Save The Environment", "Green Peace" and "The Green Earth" have long since become cliche phrases that everybody hears but no one listens to.



The problem stems from the fact that human beings themselves have grown so much more selfish and self-centred in this last century. Along with the many advancements in technology and other fields, a negative way of life and attitude has seeped into the way of life of mankind. The more we learn of our future and what lies beyond Earth, the more myopic we have become, in the never-ending scramble for wealth and power. At the highest levels, the world superpowers have been without conscience in their manipulation of less developed and more helpless countries. Corruption is widespread, and moral values have long been chucked by the wayside. (... economy of values ? ...)


The 21st century promises to be the best one yet, in terms of achievements and standard of living. Indeed, mankind is poised to make its presence felt in the wide recesses of space, slowly stretching its arms to unlock the mysteries of the unknown. Man's life will become all the easier with the focus of a more comfortable and easy life. Nevertheless, at the same time, there will be widespread of famine, and floods and the depleted ozone layer finally crumbles under the ruthless onslaught of men, and the less opulent countries will be washed aside in the ravages of nature.

One great fear that will always hang above future generations is a nuclear war, as more and more economic superpowers turn their focus towards beefing up their military muscle. A cloud of uncertainty and a certain air of restlessness will always be prevalent, knowing that at any moment, the whole existence as we know it may be blown to smithereens.

Life will definitely become more complex and complicated, with sweeping changes and major breakthroughs becoming an integral part of life. Human beings will have to be that much more efficient and that much more energetic to keep up with the modernisation that he himself created, and struggle to adapt himself into an environment which he himself had helped to bring into existence. Indeed, the 21st century promises to be the most challenging and difficult ones yet, with many potholes in which mankind fall. Our future generations have the unenviable task to hold our world together. Who knows - they might yet be victorious and triumphant in the face of difficulty. Man has survived 50,000 years, surely he can survive a hundred more.

TSC 4S1