Change : Shift Happens

Whether one agrees with the policies of President Elect Barack Obama, there can be no doubt that he has carried the banner and is leading a generation to "change". But before Obama, there were many that led a generation to change. One such man was Abraham Lincoln who said "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew." Another was Gandhi who most notably said "We must become the change we want to see".

And yet, 19 years before the death of Gandhi and 64 years after the death of Lincoln, arguably the greatest, most effective, leader of our time, Martin Luther King Jr. was born, and he said "The soft-minded man always fears change. He feels security in the status quo, and he has an almost morbid fear of the new. For him, the greatest pain is the pain of a new idea." And as we celebrate his birthday today, though nationally recognized on Monday, an interesting conversation unfolded.

Is change increasing at an increasing rate?

It seems as though more things are changing more often. The experience of a 60 year old with regard to race and gender relations, available technology, and entertainment choices is different than someone who is 40 years old. And both those experiences are completely different than that of a 20 year old? Is it possible that today's kindergartners don't see color, pre-judge based on gender, or will ever know what a CD is?

So, the inevitable question was eventually asked - how quickly are things changing?
For the answer, we turn to the one source where the oracle is located -- YouTube.
Although this is not a new video, it certainly shows how technology has expedited change all over the world. It is a great video and it is highly recommended for business professionals, parents, teachers, students, bosses, and coworkers.

The title is: Shift Happens