What does an ideal world look like to you?

Instead of focusing too much on all of the things that are currently wrong, could you please help paint a picture of what a future utopian society could look like?

My vision is heavily inspired by Terence McKenna. I imagine a world as it might have existed during prehistoric times. Lush forests teeming with exotic wildlife, clean air, and crystal clear water. No highways full of billboards, no parking lots, no shopping malls, and no cars. Just safe grounds and paths for humans embedded deep within all of this nature.

At a birds-eye view, it may look as if humanity has completely abandoned technology and regressed back into its childhood. Yet if you were to look out through the eyes of one of these utopian people, you would see the most wonderful augmented reality display.

Information, communication, entertainment, education, global economies… almost everything has been de-materialized. Humanity’s ceaseless pursuit of technology has been mostly divorced from our physical environment and mother earth is bustling with life again.

The only technologies that remain in the real world are those that help all of us live happy and healthy lives (modern medicine, delicious food, solar power, etc) all the while the shared virtual reality in our eyes is limited only by our collective imaginations.

We are finally living in accord with nature without having to forsake our innate desire for knowledge and progress.

dystop,
@dystop@lemmy.world avatar

Income inequality would be lower in my ideal world. The income distribution should be more like the 50’s. A 4 day work week, and eradication of this “central business district” idea. There can still be offices for some people, but offices can be more geographically dispersed, with different sectors in different areas so half the city isn’t trying to get to one spot in the mornings, or leave that one spot in the evenings.

pohart,

I can't say that I agree with your vision of an ideal society, but it sounds pretty good if you want to keep capitalism and capitalists

buckykat,

Iain M. Banks’ Culture

housepanther,
@housepanther@lemmy.goblackcat.com avatar

It is an egalitarian society where we all work for one another’s benefit. I can really dream can’t I. I like the idea of anarcho-communism in the style that was very much common in Native American societies prior to the racist/bigoted European settlers. This kind of society everyone was important and everyone played a key role in the success of the society. A leader acted more as a facilitator and less as an authority figure.

0x4E4F,
@0x4E4F@lemmy.fmhy.ml avatar

Mine consides with yours, except it’s a bit more techy. We’d still need someone to grow food for everyone on the planet, and that’s where robots come in… and for everything else that is just tedious or repetitive to do. We’d also need central coordination regarding things like solar panel control, or nuclear power plant control, so a central AI will most probably dominate on all devices.

There is no currency, we have an advanced socialist society. We don’t have polititians, we have “shamans” (people that guide the rest and keep the social piece, as well as uphold the values of the society). These people are not chosen by elections, they’re groomed from youngsters to be leaders and embedded with the values this society upholds the most. Of course, they’re carefully screened and chosen, based on certain tests that all children have to take, and scored on that (compassion and other highly valued human traits that are considered weaknesses in today’s society, leadership skills, etc.).

MedicPigBabySaver,

Sadly, it’s purely a dream. Humanity will reach extinction levels before any type of reorganization and rebuilding may occur. Only then can we hold hope that greater minds recognize that the greater good for all equals a better community and society.

I know you don’t want me to look backward…however, IMO: humanity missed the boat at the end of WWII. If humans couldn’t work together for a collective betterment for everyone, it’ll never happen without a complete reset of the human species.

pohart,

I think complete extinction is pretty unlikely, I expect that small enclaves will continue to exist. And if there are still humans in 100 years there will still be humans in 10,000 years.

Drinvictus,

Where the billionaires pay their fair share in taxes

Nobug404,

There just aren’t any billionaires.

CarlsIII,

Everyone acting in good faith all the time. Yeah, it’s impossible.

somethingsnappy,

Doesn’t even need to be that good. Start with what northern Europe has, eat the rich, keep improving.

milkjug,
@milkjug@lemmy.world avatar

One of those things is not like the others. Northern Europe is not even that great.

CanadaPlus,

I would assert that most problems are caused by ignorance, not malice.

wanderingmagus,

You never set a time frame. So here’s a far distant future vision.

Ideal? I think far, far greater scale.

Imagine a world where technology and science has reached its absolute zenith, where things we view as impossible miracles are a reality. Entire worlds appearing from nothingness, wholly formed and terraformed to perfection, in the blink of an eye, on a whim. The power to rearrange the stars of the sky like sand on the shores of an infinite sea.

Absolute immortality for all who desire it, unaging, with the ability to appear and become anything you desire - male or female, anthropomorphic or otherwise. Dysmorphia, sickness, hunger, disease, all forgotten concepts of a distant past.

The very fabric of space and time bends, and any child can travel at whim to the heart of a star without harm, walk effortlessly upon the surface of a neutron star, explore the vastness of distant galaxies with a single step.

Those with conflicting philosophies can craft their own worlds, experimenting with what they believe things should be like, and compare their findings.

A pipe dream utopia? The science is there in theory, though separated from us by countless eons of time. Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, as Arthur C Clarke once said. Utility fog, ship of theseus style immortality and more await, if we can come together as one.

aCosmicWave,

What a beautiful picture, thank you! You have a very nice way with words.

wanderingmagus,

Thanks! I like writing every now and then, and I’ve had this very image stuck in my head for a long while.

Whitehorse,

For years now, I’ve thought about all this and I’m in agreement with you; reach a form of world wide enlightenment where humanity understands to keep things simple and live with nature.

Thing is, though I love to imagine it, I don’t see this happening, the world wide enlightenment part, sadly.

Num10ck,

Syd Mead and other sci fi concept artists deserve their own lemmy community… tons of visuals for this idea out there

metic,
@metic@kbin.social avatar

Networked, autonomous local communities.

Chetzemoka,

I'm deeply skeptical of any and all utopian ideas. They have this mysterious tendency to wander down paths to authoritarianism because we, as a species, are more defined by our ideas of who and what we are than by anything else in our existence.

When an idea becomes an ideal, people become willing to kill or die in attempts to bring that ideal to fruition, no matter how vain.

In fact, this is how I self-edit my own beliefs about the world and myself. "If the cards were all really on the table, would I be willing to proudly die in defense of this idea?" If the answer is yes, then I cling to that as an ideal that I strive toward.

All human lives matter equally.
It is important to lift up those who have less than I do.
Any small effort to alleviate the suffering of my fellow humans is meaningful.
There is always hope.

That is the utopia I choose to live in deliberately every day, and what I appreciate most is that it is resilient to the whims and chaos of this world that I can't control.

eu,

Fully automated luxury communism. Basically a post-scarcity egalitarian society. Fueled by fusion power, if possible.

st3ph3n,
@st3ph3n@kbin.social avatar

Came here to post this too. Post-scarcity, nothing to go to war over, everyone's comfortable.

Sabre363,

A world in which everyone is able to freely pursue their interests and desires without constantly having to worry about their well-being or safety. A world untainted by incessant manipulation, greed, and narrow minded prejudice. A world with neigh unlimited access to education and information. Where ideas, beliefs, and scientific discovery can flow freely without political agendas or personal vendettas always getting in the way.

Oh, and no more mosquitoes, billionaires, or people that talk in the theatre. They get a special place in hell.

raubarno,

We in Lithuania have a mosquito-free summer this year :)

PatFussy,

My ideal world is always communism where everyone has a role and those roles only export is prosperity and happiness. Something like the Rajneesh movement. It is deeply flawed and will never work globally but its a nice thought.

If you would have asked people 100 years ago they would be saying what we are living in today is the utopia. So this is always going to be a moving goalpost.

chaogomu,

I'd take things a bit further than just communism. I'd imagine a world where farm and factory are all largely automated and publicly owned.

Anyone who wants a role has one, but no one is punished for not. Housing and food are guaranteed to all, as are most small luxuries.

Want to make the world a better place? Do it. Science and Tech would be fully funded. Want to sit around and just sort of live? Sure, you get UBI.

The only work places not owned by the workers would be the ones owned by government. If it's an essential service, it's government owned and government operated. If it's for fun, then sure, let some people get together and work toward making something fun.

Another change; copyright and patent law would be maxed at 14 years. That number has actually been shown to be when 97% of the profit is made on most copyrighted work. This one change would open up so much potential for public domain creativity.

I'd allow for continuing trademark of character, if they were in continuing use. i.e. a sort of serialization exemption to the copyright limits. If the author keeps putting out new material, they get to keep a form of control over their works, but if they stop, then it's all public domain.

I may have put a lot of thought into this over the years, and parts would still likely need to be adjusted during implementation.

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