What does BANI mean?
BANI is an acronym made up of the words ?brittle?, ?anxious?, ?nonlinear? and ?incomprehensible?. The creator of this new concept is Jamais Cascio, an American anthropologist. He has written several publications on the future of human evolution, education in the information age and emerging technologies.
Let`s see the meaning of each word in the acronym:
Brittle: In the BANI world, a system can work well on the surface, even if it?s on the verge of collapse. Therefore, precautions must be taken not to rely 100% on operations, even if they appear reliable, flexible and unbreakable. In our days, any market may be about to break; and this happens, most of the time, as a result of the constant maximization of profit.
Anxious: Information is essential, but too much of it creates a big problem: anxiety.
While technologies are here to help us to make decisions, you will inevitably feel powerless and unable to make important choices in times of pressure and tension. In a world with so much information, threats and fake news, it?s crucial knowing how to deal with circumstances in a positive way. We must take some distance from situations, see the good aspects and opportunities, and develop problem-solving solutions. The pandemic showed us the importance of emotional intelligence, and how it?s an indispensable factor to get rid of the crisis in a quick and serene way.
Nonlinear: In the BANI world, cause and effect are no longer a feasible structure in all cases. Nowadays, we feel as if we were inside a non-linear film, where things go back and forth successively, and the end doesn?t seem to be where it should be. Therefore, devising long-term actions and plans doesn?t make sense any longer. The effects of decisions on the economy, climate issues and public health may not have a date to emerge or to end.
Incomprehensible: Living in a fragile, anxious and non-linear world makes most of the events, causes and decisions incomprehensible. The human being is obstinate in finding answers, but isn?t always possible to find them for everything in the current scenario. Interestingly, having more information doesn?t mean unraveling more meaning about the things that happen. In fact, it?s the exact opposite: the noise increases, along with the difficulty to find a universal truth.
The BANI scenario shows that a great number of anxious and depressed people grows every day. Indeed, we never had so much access and tools to change things with which we disagree, and build desirable futures for everyone.Therefore, if the only option is to move on, it?s up to each of us to study and gain strength, as a preparation for the unpredictability that lies ahead.
Upper Team
