Are today’s philanthropists tomorrow’s heroes?
Jacqueline Beretta
November, 2007
Faith Popcorn predicts “In today’s increasingly philanthropic climate, expect conspicuous self- indulgence to go straight to the social guillotine. The globally conscious consumer regards altruistic activities as a necessary part of self- improvement. The Future? A person’s net worth is no longer measured by dollars earned, but by improvements made. Families compete with each other on how many people they fed while on vacation, and the most envied house on the block is not the biggest, but the most sustainable.”
So, in this climate where depth of character is critical - how do we find role models or heroes? Today’s media highlights heroes who express the potential for gaining attention. This includes sports stars, drugged-up entertainers, and mass murderers that the mass media chooses to highlight.
Where are our heroes?
- Icon Topling – A new socioquake transforms mainstream America and the world as the pillars of society are questionsed and rejected.
- SOS Save our Society - The rediscovery of a social conscience of ethics, passion and compassion.
- Future Tense - Consumers, anxiety ridden by simultaneous social, econimic, politica and ethical chaos, find themselves beyoind their ability to cope today or imagine tomorrow.
- Pleasure Revenge - Consumers are having a secret bacchanal. They’re mad as hell and want to cut loose again.
- Vigilante Comsumer - The consumer manipulates marketers and the marketplace through pressure, protest and politics.
- Eveolution - The way women think and behave is impacting business, causing a marketing shift away from a hierarchical model toward a relational one.
- Down Aging - Nostalgic for their carefree childhood, baby boomers find comfort in familiar pursuits and products from their youth.
- Anchoring - A reaching back to our spiritual roots, taking what was secure from the past in order to be ready for the future.
- Egonomics – To offset a depersonalized society, consumers crave recognition of their individuality.
- Cocooning – The need to protect oneself formt he ahrsh, unpredictable realities of the outside world.
- Calnning – Belonging to a group
Have you ever thought that the young men who lead dangerous gangs are leaders who might possibly have the capacity to be trained to lead any type of organization – if someone had just recognized their leadership qualities and turned their head another direction before it was too late…while they were young?
We are connected in so many ways that can give us more exposure (a platform) or even less exposure (more privacy). We can pick and choose whether we answer the person we know is dialing our phone or ringing our door bell, choosing who we want to be available for and when. We can virtually set up our lives so that we never have to walk out our front door again. And, at the same time, we can virtually pick an identity to be anyone we want with the click of a mouse.
We know that we are but a small part of a huge planet and galaxy working in unison.
However, we should also very aware that we are also sitting on a time bomb of issues that must be addressed in order for us to go on as a species. Do we have the discipline to act quick enough? And do we have the right role models who will teach us to follow the right path?
