• Will we see more war or less?

    Less

• More poverty or greater prosperity?

    Greater prosperity 

• Will environmental challenges worsen, or will we make progress in fixing them?

    They will stay about the same

• Will human rights and equality improve, or will they decline?

    Improve 

• Will people be healthier due to better awareness of health and technology, or will poor diet and lifestyle choices continue to take a toll?

    Lives will be longer

• Will AI become a true game-changer, or will it simply evolve into a more advanced and user-friendly search tool?

    Real gamechanger

• And for Gen Z, will they find themselves in a better world or a more challenging one?

    Better

12 hours ago, BritManToo said:

This is where I'll be in 5 years ..............

 

That’ll be a bummer if you don’t die first

I wonder if we turned the clock back 15 years to 2010, would people’s responses and opinions be the same about the future as they are today, or would they be different?

13 hours ago, save the frogs said:

 

This speaker makes a valid point that consuming daily news will make one have a bleak outlook on the world and it's not an accurate reflection of reality. 

 

And then discusses advances in technologies that will enhance our lives.

 

 

Enlightenment video. Thank you for sharing.

3 hours ago, pomchop said:

the absolute king of whining like a little child is the current POTUS...that is literally what he does every single day...there are none so blind as those that refuse to open their eyes...it is all so very very unfair how the orange child is treated.

More whingeing

On 2/23/2025 at 6:43 AM, Harrisfan said:

I trust nature but not people. Look at how stupid the average person is. 

 

George Carlin summed up humans well.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=george+carlin+about+stupid+people&sca_esv=9fb85a25592254e6&rlz=1C5CHFA_enTH1025TH1025&sxsrf=AHTn8zrphBUzsMSy3xkNI5hQt826sdKAkQ%3A1740356245012&ei=lbq7Z6E8xbux4w_o64vYDg&oq=george+carlin+about+peiple&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiGmdlb3JnZSBjYXJsaW4gYWJvdXQgcGVpcGxlKgIIATIGEAAYFhgeMggQABgIGA0YHjIIEAAYCBgNGB4yCBAAGAgYDRgeMggQABgIGA0YHjILEAAYgAQYhgMYigUyCxAAGIAEGIYDGIoFMgsQABiABBiGAxiKBTIIEAAYgAQYogQyCBAAGIAEGKIESKZyUIYJWMhXcAJ4AZABAJgBbqAB2wuqAQQxNC4zuAEByAEA-AEBmAIToALsDMICChAAGLADGNYEGEfCAg0QABiABBiwAxhDGIoFwgIOEAAYsAMY5AIY1gTYAQHCAhMQLhiABBiwAxhDGMgDGIoF2AEBwgIKEAAYgAQYQxiKBcICChAAGIAEGBQYhwLCAgUQABiABMICChAjGIAEGCcYigXCAgUQLhiABMICCxAuGIAEGJECGIoFwgILEAAYgAQYkQIYigXCAgoQLhiABBgUGIcCwgIsEC4YgAQYkQIYigUYlwUY3AQY3gQY4AQY9AMY8QMY9QMY9gMY9wMY-APYAQHCAgUQIRigAZgDAIgGAZAGELoGBggBEAEYCZIHBDE0LjWgB8q8AQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:ba468f7e,vid:AKN1Q5SjbeI,st:0

On 2/23/2025 at 5:47 AM, Hokeus said:

Looking at the current trajectory of global events, where do you think the world will be five years from now?

 

• Will we see more war or less?

• More poverty or greater prosperity?

• Will environmental challenges worsen, or will we make progress in fixing them?

• Will human rights and equality improve, or will they decline?

• Will people be healthier due to better awareness of health and technology, or will poor diet and lifestyle choices continue to take a toll?

• Will AI become a true game-changer, or will it simply evolve into a more advanced and user-friendly search tool?

• And for Gen Z, will they find themselves in a better world or a more challenging one?

 

I try to stay positive in my outlook, even if the future for the world doesn’t seem so bright. Things may look bleak, but they always can change. At least the sun will still rise every morning, until the day it doesn’t, and by then, we’ll all be gone.

 

What are your thoughts?

That's one year after Trump, if he would make it up to 4 years.

So a wonderful peaceful world is waiting for us. 🤗

1 minute ago, newbee2022 said:

That's one year after Trump, if he would make it up to 4 years.

So a wonderful peaceful world is waiting for us. 🤗

Hopefully with Vance and Bondi in the Whitehouse

I doubt much will change in the next five years. In fact I doubt that war, hunger and disease will ever disappear. We humans are made up of both good and evil, and mostly experience both pain and pleasure in varying degrees during our lives.

President Vance will be settling in to his first term?

23 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

President Vance will be settling in to his first term?

In which prison?

5 minutes ago, rough diamond said:

In which prison?

The same one that his current boss went to?

World will be worse off;

Less jobs coz of automation.

The rich getting richer...poor getting poorer..widening the GAP

PEOPLE GETTING FATTER AND dying earlier.

Food items skyrocketing.

People falling further in debt.

Average car price. NOw is $48,500

COVID PUT people in 20k+ credit card DEBT

LAZY WORKFORCE.

Divorces, infidelity...

Black population still increases.

Should I go on?

..

 

1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:

Hopefully with Vance and Bondi in the Whitehouse

Oh dear😱

On 2/23/2025 at 6:43 AM, Harrisfan said:

I trust nature but not people. Look at how stupid the average person is. 

 

George Carlin summed up humans well.

"Look at how stupid the average person is." That's a load of nonsense, in the 20 years of living in Thailand and meeting people of all nationalities, although I have came across the odd idiot, it would be very wrong to say the average person is stupid. 

Depending on your age you might not be here so why worry.

17 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Almost everyone has the same opportunities in all countries, almost.   There are millionaires in most countries.  Unless dealt a really bad hand at birth, there is no reason not to be financially successful, or at least, no need to live in poverty.

 

You want, then you earn ... IT IS NO ROCKET SCIENCE

 

So many from very poor roots, lacking higher education paperwork (inclusive) have a bit, or way more money than they will ever spend.  Nothing is stopping anyone except themselves.

I think you have a tremendous lack of understanding in regard to what it's like to be born into a poor family in a poor country, without any resources at your disposal. Many countries have very strong inherent classes systems, and it is extremely difficult for a person from a poor family without connections to get an education, much less get ahead. 

 

Your statement could only be made by a white European or American man. 

17 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Almost everyone has the same opportunities in all countries, almost.   There are millionaires in most countries.  Unless dealt a really bad hand at birth, there is no reason not to be financially successful, or at least, no need to live in poverty.

 

You want, then you earn ... IT IS NO ROCKET SCIENCE

 

So many from very poor roots, lacking higher education paperwork (inclusive) have a bit, or way more money than they will ever spend.  Nothing is stopping anyone except themselves.

What you say used to be true for Western countries, although wealth inequity is so extreme now probabilities are much lower.

 

Most people stay poor in affluent countries because of poor life choices.

 

There's a village in East Timor which has only one industry - salt.

 

The men go down to the sea to collect seawater in hollowed - out bamboo poles. It's then poured over a nest of palm fronds to make brine.

 

Other villagers go into the forest, collecting firewood. It's used to heat cast iron pans, passed down through generations, to make salt crystals from brine.

 

The women weave small baskets from palm fronds, about the size of a drinking glass. Each basket sells for about 5 cents. Average wage when I was there was $5 a month.

 

For you to be saying such people can be financially successful is arrant nonsense.

I really don't understand why people are so negative now.

 

• Will we see more war or less? Less, a lot less.

• More poverty or greater prosperity? Greater prosperity for all.

• Will environmental challenges worsen, or will we make progress in fixing them? The ones we can fix we'll fix, the ones we can't, we'll adjust.

• Will human rights and equality improve, or will they decline? Improve greatly.

• Will people be healthier due to better awareness of health and technology, or will poor diet and lifestyle choices continue to take a toll? Gotta go with the poor diet and lifestyle choices on this one.

• Will AI become a true game-changer, or will it simply evolve into a more advanced and user-friendly search tool? It's already a game changer.

• And for Gen Z, will they find themselves in a better world or a more challenging one? A much better one.

4 minutes ago, runamok27 said:

• And for Gen Z, will they find themselves in a better world or a more challenging one? A much better one.

I moved to a mining project in a remote area of Australia for 6 years. I bought a house back in Melbourne with a mortgage, which I paid off within 18 months.

 

If Gen Z actually gets to buy a house nowadays, they will be paying off a similar mortgage in about 30 - 40 years. Some will still be in debt in retirement, even though the asset value has grown.

 

To me, that is challenging.

Done fighting the world and tuning out. Let the young people fight for change and justice. Do what you can in daily life to make the world better. Change yourself to change the world.

 

Neil Young - Walk Like a Giant lyrics (partial):

 

I used to walk like a giant on the land
Now I feel like a leaf floating in a stream
I wanna walk like a giant
I wanna walk like a giant on the land

Me and some of my friends
we were gonna save the world
we were trying to make it better
we were ready to save the world
but then the weather changed
and the white got stained
and it fell apart
and it breaks my heart

I don't expect much change in 5 years, especially for myself & family.  Simply things getting better & better.

 

Reference to all the doom & gloom comments, and agree, those that don't want to make the effort for a better life, it will be much worse.   

 

Those that care about themselves, will be just fine, or better in five years, as they will put in the effort, hence the positive results in the future.

8 hours ago, NoshowJones said:

"Look at how stupid the average person is." That's a load of nonsense, in the 20 years of living in Thailand and meeting people of all nationalities, although I have came across the odd idiot, it would be very wrong to say the average person is stupid. 

If you think looking at expats to find stupid people, you're looking in the wrong place, as they are able to either live there, vacation there, or retire there... so they must be somewhat successful and would probably be above 'average'...
Now, look around at the people (not all, of course) stuck in their motherlands, wanting desperately to get out of their hopeless situation and blaming everyone but themselves, with no means, or capability to leave... and worse.

They are the average, and the ones of whom George Carlin speaks

7 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I moved to a mining project in a remote area of Australia for 6 years. I bought a house back in Melbourne with a mortgage, which I paid off within 18 months.

 

If Gen Z actually gets to buy a house nowadays, they will be paying off a similar mortgage in about 30 - 40 years. Some will still be in debt in retirement, even though the asset value has grown.

 

To me, that is challenging.

 

You can adapt to changing situations.

There are also more opportunities to make money online now than there was 20 years ago.

If I was in my 20s, I would work online and live a nomadic life. You can travel the world rather than buy an over-priced house and be trapped in one place. 

 

7 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I moved to a mining project in a remote area of Australia for 6 years. I bought a house back in Melbourne with a mortgage, which I paid off within 18 months.

 

If Gen Z actually gets to buy a house nowadays, they will be paying off a similar mortgage in about 30 - 40 years. Some will still be in debt in retirement, even though the asset value has grown.

 

To me, that is challenging.

Wow pops, a typical home loan term in Melbourn was 18 months? What year was the average home price? 

 

My parents bought the California home I grew up in in 1954 for $10,000 with a 30-year loan. 

 

I paid cash for my last three homes 

On 2/23/2025 at 3:52 AM, spidermike007 said:

For certain we will be less evolved than we are now. I think it's been about 30 years since civilization started to move in a backwards manner, and human evolution stopped in its tracks.

 

We are now devolving as a species, and that will continue to happen as long as social media and reality TV exist.

Let me guess, you're not early 60's by chance? Possible you mean it's 30 years since your peak? 😊

4 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Wow pops, a typical home loan term in Melbourn was 18 months? What year was the average home price? 

 

My parents bought the California home I grew up in in 1954 for $10,000 with a 30-year loan. 

 

I paid cash for my last three homes 

No, the loan term was 25 years. The bank manager was none too pleased when I paid off the loan in 18 months. It helped I was working in the remote area, so could rent it out.

 

I bought the house in 1970 for $14,000. 4 bedrooms plus a bungalow.

 

In hindsight, I should have stayed and pyramided my property purchases. An Indian guy I worked with did that, and finished up owning a dozen houses in Perth.

 

From 1972, I have bought 5 houses, 2 townhouses. and 2 apartments. I paid cash for every one.

 

I feel sorry for young people today, their path to home ownership is so much harder.

31 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

 

You can adapt to changing situations.

There are also more opportunities to make money online now than there was 20 years ago.

If I was in my 20s, I would work online and live a nomadic life. You can travel the world rather than buy an over-priced house and be trapped in one place. 

 

You are assuming everyone has the same ability to make online work pay a reasonable wage.

 

I am guessing here, but I would say that's probably only 10% of the population in most countries. Feel free to contradict with statistics, if you can find any.

2 hours ago, save the frogs said:

 

You can adapt to changing situations.

There are also more opportunities to make money online now than there was 20 years ago.

If I was in my 20s, I would work online and live a nomadic life. You can travel the world rather than buy an over-priced house and be trapped in one place. 

 

Hard to do without IT skills or youtuber.

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

You are assuming everyone has the same ability to make online work pay a reasonable wage.

 

I am guessing here, but I would say that's probably only 10% of the population in most countries. Feel free to contradict with statistics, if you can find any.

you're probably right.

but younger generations may also need to give up the obsession with owning.

the world is changing, and people who are fixed in their ways and think everything should be like "the good ol' days" might be frustrated.