We can only hope for some sort of disaster. Soon and all-encompassing.
Not out of some masochistic desire to see everything crumble.
But simply out of recognition that, ever since the industrial revolution, humanity has been cruising headlong into the face of disaster. Philosophically, physically, spiritually, mentally...

We were not meant to live like this...eternally lusting after "progress" and the need for things to be ever quicker and more technologically advanced.
After all, what is the modern measure of advancement if not simply, how many things we have to do stuff for us.
Our computers are only advanced in so far as they think for us.
Our machines are only advanced in so far as they do the work and effort that we used to do.

Meanwhile basic mathematics and vocabulary skills decline at an unbelievable rate as our poor primate brains scramble to try and figure out how to type the keys faster. Our muscles atrophy at the expense of being able to press a button at the right time.

This is advancement? This is progress?
Much of it for the sake of economic growth, which is a pitiful pursuit, to say the least.

Perhaps it will take an epic disaster to shock us out of this stupefying malaise and re-orientate ourselves to the truly human evolution of our bodies and our minds, and not just the externalization of that progression by focusing it on plastic machines, etc.

Meanwhile, of course, I acknowledge my own use of these things. But sometimes one is indulged to use the master's tools to undo the master's work, as they say.

i totally agree. i hate the now.
Before electricity got around, everyone pretty much knew how to survive on their own without the help of technology.
In todays world modern human focuses mostly on numbers and buttons.

Nature's gonna strike back.

Hard to say if modern progress is insane(?).:
Contraptions are useable and make things easier. Lots of things anyway.
The see-able life around is more suitable than the unsee-able around.
The unseen works against the seen however.
The above and beyond world: watch their step, in the direction of:
what's(?) there to strike back. Lesser lights as well.

In a way "life" can be anyhow, somewhat.
Other interests of "life" abounding somehow, are all around and seemingly prevalent.

Bottom line is: everything manages on its' own or succumbs.

While I wholeheartedly agree with the author's doleful analysis as to the collective regression of mankind, and for the very reasons cited, I cringe to think that the only way to remedy the direction we are headed is by a catastrophic event that might potentially destroy the planet. It may sound a bit naive, but even after many years of watching society slide down the toilet under the banner of "progress", I still have faith, dwindling as it is, that humans could turn things around, or at least forestall what seems to be the inevitable ultimate collapse. But, then again, maybe the OP is spot on, and the ONLY way to end this slide down the slippery slope of ruination is some sort of "Event" that would collectively bring us to our senses.

It seems simple to me that we are hear to learn and when you don't listen to your "head" the universe will "trip" you up someway with any physical interaction to change your attitude or direction in life.Anything from an ant bite to a car accident to a stubbed toe or headache. So if you don't like physical pain listen to your little voice that saves your ass. A good exercise is to cut a deck of cards and try to "guess" what the suit, number than individual card. I have taught two 7 and 9 yr old aboriginal boys this and they read my mind as I would "transmit" the card to them. They would get a dozen in a row. Tune your mind like a radio!!!It is easy. "First you must trust yourself then you can trust others"
Anyway your legs are your under"stand"ing and your arms are your "act"ion. As humans we ACT and we UNDERSTAND.
We stimlate our hands much more than our feet since modern times off padded shoes, concrete walkpaths, padded grass.
Look at a native that walks on rough ground stimulating his feet, he is in balance with himself and the planet.
This is what got me into "reflexology". It is amasing the pain people hold in there feet. The neglect of the furtherest thing from our head in a metaphysical sense creates an imbalance in what we create(action, technology) to the wisdom(understanding, ethics) that is put into that creation therefore we (as a majority) are out of balance. So go and get a good foot bashing and rebalance your life.
Hope that was not to deep

Totally agree with the OP statements and comments.
I've often considered writing a book titled "Capitalism impedes Innovation". Or rather Greed (Capitalism) supercedes societal progress. Due to this "great" concept of money and gaining wealth and goods through the acquisition of wealth by WHATEVER means has led to our society regressing or staying stagnant in itself for the last 50 years.
Sure technology has progressed, sure we don't use vcr's anymore, or listen to tape cassettes in our cars driving around, nor do we hold cell phones to our heads that still weigh 15 pounds and are as big as a loaf of bread. Those things have advanced, at the rate you'd expect them to even over the last 30 years.
But what about all the other innovation, ideas, breakthroughs that could have impacted our society and made ALL of our lives better.
(Large scale hydroponic farming, Electric engines for vehicles, and water desalination plants for example) All built, but very small scale in the big picture of things.

With the right applications, the lack of the profit motive, all our wonderful technology could right now make it so nobody, AND I MEAN NOBODY, drinks dirty water, goes hungry, can't have a house to live in, and everyone could have a mode of transportation suitable to their part of the world to get them around and to work every day. This is achievable in 1 years time if all of humanity put down the guns, stopped trying to profit, and just said: let's all live together and work together. But why do that? What would be the MOTIVE for everyone doing that right? Why would people work if everything was given to them? The questions are endless, and all good ones that would need many months of philosphical debate. Nevertheless it could be done, but our society is broken. Very very broken.
So instead of doing all that we could as a species, with our current level of technology we will carry on with the status quo. The way we think it's "always been". What I suggest is in fact impossible in today's established modern societies of the world, we're all greedy and destructive and violent and like hating our foreign neighbors, and people that don't look like us...talk like us, walk like us, pray like us, etc etc etc etc etc etc. So it's better to stay enemies, hoard our food and water, and watch you slowly die a 3rd world death. Or maybe we'll just come and bomb you, if you don't die quickly enough.

We don't appear to be: all in this together.

Even if we were all in this together --> we still wouldn't be, all in this together.

There seems to be a "isometric" structure, to it all.
A way of building upon what's there.

[quote="chucktrick"] "First you must trust yourself then you can trust others"

I like this quote

People really do understand the downside of technology but it isn't knowledge that is our problem. In fact we can use more of it. The issue is that their are too many people which makes people scared due to unpredictability. Sure a global pandemic might make it a bit less fearful for the people who are left but at what cost? It isn't like we have ever been able to completely trust our neighbors but I think we should try while remaining cautious.