Lifelong Learner #31
The next frontier of human well-being
To all lifelong learners,
I’ve been reflecting on the historical data surrounding our progress as a species. Over the last two centuries, global life expectancy has skyrocketed from 32 years in 1900 to over 70 years today. We’ve functionally doubled the human lifespan, though it is crucial to acknowledge that for many parts of the world, we still have immense work to do to secure this basic baseline of survival. Furthermore, the devastating reality of ongoing wars serves as a terrible reminder of when humankind fails to build upon the painful learnings of our own history.
But how did we actually achieve the massive leaps in human well-being we have seen?
When we look at the numbers, it becomes clear that the biggest breakthroughs never happened in a vacuum. They occurred at the messy intersections of science, business, civil society, and politics:
Science & Politics: John Snow’s mapping of cholera in 1854 proved that water spread disease, but it took massive political will to fund the sewer systems that radically dropped child mortality.
Science & Industry: The Haber-Bosch process allowed us to pull nitrogen from the air to create synthetic fertilizer. This breakthrough only changed the world because it lived at the intersection of theoretical chemistry and massive industrial engineering, allowing it to scale commercially. Today, that single innovation feeds roughly 50% of the global population.
Science, Infrastructure & Industry: The expansion of public electrical grids combined with the commercial manufacturing of labor-saving appliances like the washing machine. This intersection radically transformed daily life by freeing up immense amounts of physical time, shifting countless hours away from grueling domestic labor and opening the door to education, leisure, and broader societal participation.
Civil Society & State: The push for universal schooling didn’t just teach reading; it built the human capital necessary to organize democratically and drive equality. Research shows each additional year of schooling yields a ~10% rise in individual annual earnings while generating massive societal returns in health and innovation.
A thought I’m exploring: Now that we have solved for extreme physical suffering for so many, what if our primary focus must shift from extending life expectancy to extending our well-being-span?
The next leap requires us to look beyond simple survival. It demands that we build sustainable well-being across physical, mental, social, existential, and planetary dimensions.
A question I’m asking myself: What are the coming big breakthroughs that will extend our well-being-span as significantly as clean water, efficient food production and schooling has done in the past?
Our collective challenge: This week, take a few minutes to think about the future. What great initiatives, projects, or shifts in perspective do you think will help us make the next leap in sustainable well-being and how do you want to contribute to them?
Looking forward to learning together with you. Thank you 🙏
Johan