The Impulse Society | Paul Roberts | Talks at Google

Journalist Paul Roberts visited Google's Cambridge, MA office to discuss his book, "The Impulse Society". In it, he claims that our entire socioeconomic system has become one giant engine devoted to the selfish, short-term impulses of individuals, CEOs and politicians—while ignoring the pressing, long-term needs of society. He draws on economics, psychology, history, and political philosophy to show how we have become so obsessed with "maximizing returns" that we embrace virtually any means — any technology, personal tactic, or corporate strategy — that can deliver, regardless of consequences. He lays out the history and geography of this new social order, and charts a clear pathway toward a different and brighter future.

Paul Roberts is a journalist specializing in resource economics. "The Impulse Society" is his third book, following "The End of Oil" and "The End of Food".

[voortexproductions]

Paul delivers very important words that are important to consider in this day and age.  
Highly recommend "The Impulse Society"  

[DFM]

The Impulse Society is a powerful book. Why don't you see Paul Roberts on mainstream television or cable television?  Simply because the corporations own the media and they don't want you to read his book or hear his speeches. He is brilliant.

[edfitzhugh]

Interesting, and disturbing.  The narrow alley of consequence and personal responsibility/concern is shrinking even further.  We not only have to re-learn the value of respect, but again, of patience?
Terrific talk, and greatly enjoying the book.

[queuesnake]

"So what do we do about that?"

You coax people into having a conscience and work together by choice. Not through force - which as far as I can tell is all we've managed to accomplish so far. But this is a nice first step.

[queuesnake]

"Create this distance, and reengage with society."

LoL. Rather subtle form of nonviolent resistance, eh?

Ahh, how sweet it is. Are we at that stage of the Journey, already? (The Return). I just didn't expect society to literally come knocking at my door. ;)

[queuesnake]

"Take a selfie in front of an abandoned store."

It also launched multiple social revolutions and given people digital Hitchhiker's Guides to the Galaxy in their pockets.

[queuesnake]

Technology + Innovation = Potentially more knowledge and higher standards of living for all

[queuesnake]

interests and norms. Corporations were not initially created to exist for their own sake. They were created to provide the maximum benefit to society, and giving people more power to self-determine how to allocate and maximize utility ended up being the quickest, most efficient way of providing those be exits to society.

Kindle Fires (and other mobile social media tech) allow people the world over to issue unofficial status reports and thus change society, and by extension corporations and

[queuesnake]

Maybe we need a few shocks to the system.

"Absolutely, we need a combination of a top down and bottom up approach."

First sensible thing I've heard all week.

[queuesnake]

How do we rebalance? We reorient our minds, as we did with the dawn of print and television.

[queuesnake]

"Let the market decide."

More like use full cost (natural resources, i.e. carbon cap and trade) accounting.

The problem is that we don't see the connection between "planting a few trees" and cutting down forests that provide us with breathable air.

What we need are *innovators* who can maximize the output of scarce resources.

I'm all for free market capitalism, but even the most cutthroat game needs rules and referees. Corporations and the power to enforce their will in spite of social

[queuesnake]

Well, I guess we're going to have to reorient and strike a healthy balance between self interest and social norms. I can tell you firsthand that social norms *kill* self interest and innovation (which is messed up because self-interest and innovation help drive a higher social norms - assuming we don't forget about social norms and continue to have a conscience).

[queuesnake]

Hah. I guess we're going to have to generally grow up and be less squeemish about our bodies - in that we really don't talk about these things. Sexual repression, much?

Believe me. I don't envy you.

[queuesnake]

"He's in serious trouble." LoL. The *world* is in serious trouble. I guess the real world (the infrastructure of which is very outdated in so many ways, btw) is going to have to merge and adapt to the best elements of the digital / game world.