Rethink The System - A Conversation with James Arbib

In this episode of Force of Nature, Clover sits down with James Arbib - co-founder of RethinkX, the non-profit think tank exploring how technology will shape the future and disrupt all levels of society. From lab-grown meat to driverless, electric cars, James helps leaders make better decisions for an equitable, healthy, and resilient society. In this episode, Clover and James discuss the influences that shape our lives, planning for uncertainty, and whether the system really is too broken to create meaningful change.


Episode notes

01:40 - 14:46) Asking if the “system” is too broken for meaningful change; why we can’t keep plastering over problems with token solutions; and why technology can only take us so far in delivering utopia.

14:46 - 21:23) What happens when people decide to opt out of the system; understanding how power operates to create space for new leaders; why positive exponential change is (and must be made) possible.

21:23 - 33:42) Learning to navigate uncertainty while planning for mass-disruption; finding society’s new narrative; and rewriting social contracts.

33:42 - 40:05) Beginning to rethink much of how we live, breathe and exist in the 21st century; stripping back complexity to uncover universal truths; why we find change so terrifying; and how to create the conditions for the best in society to emerge.

40:05 - 51:38) Why climate change demands a new story - not of fear, but of the world that’s possible; looking forward rather than regressing to past certainties; sustainable solutions presented as opportunities rather sacrifice.

51:38 - 1:02:56 ) Dismantling society’s dominion complex to redistribute power to the people; solving problems through the lens of intersectionality; creating the conditions for a new world to emerge.


Top quotes

“You never see a leading civilization of one era becoming the leading civilization of the next era because there's too much resistance to change within the leaders… it's always someone on the edge.” - James

“We see these glimpses of what’s possible when lots of people come together.” - Clover

“The reason we've been successful as a society is our ability to be social creatures, work together and rally around stories. How can we reclaim that narrative?” - Clover

“The stories we tell about the climate are terrifying, right? That’s paralyzing at some level - and we do ourselves a disservice by focusing on the fear side too much.” - James

“There's a saying we have in society: ‘where there's a will, there’s a way’. It's framed the wrong way around. It should be: ‘where there's a way, there's a will’, meaning if we can see what's possible, we will find the will to get there.” - James



About the guest(s)

James Arbib is the co-Founder of RethinkX, a not-for-profit think tank that has developed a framework to better understand the non-linear nature of technology disruption across the economy and its broad implications across society. It aims to provide key decision makers (policy-makers, investors and businesses) with insight and data that captures the potential and implications of these disruptions, to help society make better choices. He also serves in a number of advisory roles in the Investment and Sustainability sectors.


Resources
RethinkX https://www.rethinkx.com/
Read the latest report from RethinkX, “Rethink Humanity”: https://www.rethinkx.com/humanity


About the host

Clover Hogan is a 21-year-old climate activist, researcher on eco-anxiety, and the founder of Force of Nature - a youth-led organisation empowering Gen Z to step up, rather than shut down, in the face of the climate crisis. She has...