The point of progress

I've been living in Singapore for a few years now. It's amazing to how advanced this city is. Coming back to the city, after a trip to smaller towns in Asia, feels like time travel. If you want a glimpse into what the future could look like, visit Singapore.

Once the sense of awe subsides - it does keep coming back time and again - you wonder "What's the point of all this?" particularly against the fact that most of the world isn't like this. What is the point of a handful of people enjoying air-conditioned buses and not worrying about safety, while other parts of the world struggle with putting food on the table and war. This dilemma has been on my mind.

However, today I seem to have found some answer. Progress and development (without arguing on what exactly it is) is a reminder of what humans are capable of. It's a reminder that we all have immense potential both as individuals and as a collective. It also helps us be more optimistic about humanity and forget, for a while, the evil we are capable of. It gives us hope that the future doesn't have to grim.

By experiencing "progress" we are filled energy that is required to move us forward despite the odds, especially for those who are not as lucky. The challenges that face the world today are very hard and will take more than a lifetime to solve. And I believe that it's on the people who have had a glimpse of what the future could look like, to make it real for the rest.