We can tell ourselves we're not like rats, that we are independent thinkers and that our environments don't influence how we feel. But let's be honest - we all know that isn't the case, don't we?
In trying to force people to adapt to a standardized, manufactured social model, but expecting them to produce and succeed as though they lived in a knowledge-economy focused economic model, we're hitting the gas and the breaks at the same time.
We can ignore the root causes of crime, which include various forms of stigma. We can skip over the massive amounts of data pointing to out-of-tune management practices, work and workspace design as contributing to our productivity/innovation/insurance cost woes. It's possible.
But what are the main political concerns of our time? Jobs. Economic growth. Competitiveness in new fields and innovation. Transit. All fields that we're willing to plan around, but based on our gut instincts of expedience. When you don't design systems for the user, you end up with users who don't use or abuse the system.
As predicted, mental health has become the new left-handedness. We can keep treating lead poisoning, or we can start taking the lead out of the water. The one which is more proactive is more efficient - and long term cost-effective.
There is so much we can do - so much we will do, however long it takes us to get there. Does it not make sense to walk into this future with eyes wide-open, map in hand?
You'd have to be on crack to think otherwise.
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