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“Future Shock” takes you back in the 70s and allows you to see the future through the eyes of Alvin Toffler.

About Alvin Toffler

Alvin Toffler is a writer, thinker, and futurist. In all of his works, he collaborated with his colleague and wife Heidi Toffler.

“Future Shock Summary”

“Future Shock” is the term Toffler gave to the trauma that happens as a result of going through great changes in a short time.

In his book he explores how people can adapt to the changes they face, and while doing that he establishes a new social norm: embracing change.

Although it was written in the 70s when people were not aware that many of the ways they conducted business and the technology they were familiar with would disappear, his thoughts remain relevant even today.

Preparing for change and embracing it is not a topic that will lose its importance soon.

Today, we are used to this sort of advice, but at the time when Toffler advocated his views, his thoughts were unusual.

He did not know much for the Internet, but he did a wonderful job in predicting the future by forming a new mode of being that he called “The Ad-hocracy” which will transform the world into a “free-form world” of kinetic organizations.

According to his notions, which later turned out to be exact, many functions will disappear, offices will no longer be as necessary, communication will be constant and conducted over different types of media, etc.

He tries to find ways to balance vicarious experiences, which are the things you pay others to do for your enjoyment and non-vicarious experiences, which are the things you do.

As you can already notice, Toffler’s predictions are incredibly accurate.

Finding the balance between these two types of experience has only grown to become more critical as time went by.

Such is the case with most of his questions and predictions, which proves that he was a thinker that was a step ahead of his time, and raised questions that people can relate to even today.

Key Lessons from “Future Shock”

1.      A World Full of Many Markets
2.      “Invention with Invention”
3.      Stability Zones

A World Full of Many Markets

Toffler came up with another prediction that relates to the many markets.

He discusses the emergence of “overchoice” which according to him is tied to the consumer’s increasing focus on individuality.

He further predicts that technological advancements will be responsible for creating product variety, as consumers will reject standardized products and search for individuality.

“Invention with Invention”

Toffler believes that markets can maintain their competitiveness and survive only if they meet invention with intention.

He argues that new technology should be regulated as little as possible, and tries to address all kinds of other aspects that may play a significant role in shaping society.

“Stability Zones”

He also addresses the people’s need for stimuli.

He recommends for people to embrace stability zones in their lives, out of which the strongest one is a long-term, monogamous relationship.

He believes that in the profound connection to another person, one builds the emotional basis from which they can observe the world as it changes, without changing their identity.

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“Future Shock” Quotes