Roman Krznaric explores the conditions in which crises lead to transformative societal change. He finds that transformative responses are most common in conditions of war, disaster, revolution, and disruption. The latter refers to “a moment of system instability that provides opportunities for rapid transformation” which is created by the “disruption nexus” of crisis events (typically less extreme than war, revolution, or cataclysmic disaster), disruptive social movements, and visionary ideas for alternatives. All three must be present for a crisis to propel transformative change.
This essay is based on Krznaric’s forthcoming book History for Tomorrow: Inspiration from the Past for the Future of Humanity.