6.1 Introduction
For a long time, prosperity has been equated mostly with money, status and visible success. Yet many people still live from a place of lack, fear and exhaustion, while nature carries the hidden costs.
The contributions gathered in this chapter invite a wider definition of prosperity: one that includes health, meaningful work, community, inner alignment, nature and fairness. It questions who benefits from current systems, how value is created and shared and what kind of legacy we are building.
6.2 Challenges
The challenges named in this chapter are organised into four lenses: mindsets & human psyche; information, knowledge & power; data, privacy & agency; and systems, structures & culture.
Beliefs such as "wealth equals happiness" and a limited perspective of prosperity keep people chasing external symbols while neglecting health, relationships and meaning.
"Wealth of fear", scarcity narratives and constant pressure fuel anxiety, hoarding of resources and resistance to change instead of generosity and collaboration.
Lack of connection, lack of alignment with something higher and low resonance with "cosmic energy" make it harder to choose values driven paths to prosperity.
Everyone does not get a fair share of their contribution. Power, ownership and opportunity are concentrated, while contributionism and equity remain aspirational.
When "information is power" and flows of money, data and value are not visible, trust erodes and people feel excluded from decision making.
Online trends with fast ways "to make money online" can reinforce shallow success stories and train people to value visibility over depth, care and contribution.
Without shared responsibility for one another, prosperity becomes fragile and easily threatened by crises, fear and competition.
Overconsumption, waste and natural disasters show how current models externalize environmental costs instead of making nature part of the journey.
The system is built around jobs, not around possibilities to offer unique talents to solve unique problems in ways that feel meaningful and regenerative.
Without courage to let go of outdated structures, inequalities that arise from the current situation will continue to grow.
Tip: Use the filters above to explore challenges through the lenses of mindsets & human psyche, information & power, data & agency, and systems, structures & culture. Click More on any card to reveal deeper layers.
6.3 Solutions
These solutions are organised into five pathways: mindsets & inner capacities; education, skills & literacy; community, culture & collaboration; design, technology & innovation; and systems, governance & infrastructure.
Rethink values, place "why", ethics and legacy at the center and cultivate courage to be hungry and happy while staying in resonance with the universal flow.
When more people volunteer, support one another and think in terms of future legacy, prosperity becomes a relational field, not just a private goal.
Basic income for all, minimum wage to live with decency and investment equity can ensure that everyone gets a fair share of their contribution.
Models that empower people, free them from unnecessary work and focus on symbiosis, harmony, diversity and new objectives create prosperity that feels alive.
Values based solutions, shared experiences like eating or sailing together and a spirit of Oneness for all create social glue and trust for long term flourishing.
Acceptance, education, embracing diversity and normalizing change reduce friction and open space for collaboration, innovation and care.
Reducing waste, integrating nature into prosperity models and designing systems that are resilient to natural disasters help align wealth with planetary health.
Access to knowledge and wisdom (not just information), commodification of tech in a positive sense, and training for man machine collaboration can unlock development for the masses.
Funding and embracing innovation, combined with fair rules, can turn financial tools into bridges rather than barriers.
Adjustments in the system, merit that looks at symbiosis, harmony and diversity and an intent to serve humanity help prosperity feel like a living, evolving field rather than a rigid target.
Tip: Filter by Mindsets, Education, Community, Design or Systems to explore different levers of change toward prosperity.
6.4 Path Forward
The future of prosperity will be shaped less by abstract growth curves and more by the intent to serve humanity, to democratize access and to honour our interdependence with one another and with the Earth.
A regenerative prosperity is one where systems are designed to:
This chapter suggests that we do not only need new instruments and policies. We also need a new story of prosperity: one where courage, empathy, creativity and shared responsibility are as important as money and growth, and where prosperity is felt in healthy food, good friends, vibrant communities and a thriving planet.
This interactive chapter is part of the Future of Humanity Report and is intended as a living document as new questions, insights and possibilities emerge.
Many of these ideas were collected during the Future of Humanity Experience in Basel 2025. You can find more information here: Future of Humanity at Basel 2025 and the Future of Humanity Report.
Chapters across the Future of Humanity Report
