TWIF+Chapter+15

11/9 vs 9/11 There are two competing forms of imagination at work in the world today. 11/9 and 9/11 are two dates that illustrate these competing forms. The dismantling of the Berlin Wall on 11/9/89 is an example of the creative imagination that was used in a positive way to provide an opportunity for more people to be part of the flattening world. 9/11 demonstrated the opposite, the destructive imagination, where people used their creativity to kill, destroy, and put walls up. According to Friedman, “There are two ways to flatten the world. One is to use your imagination to bring everyone up to the same level, and the other is to use your imagination to bring everyone down to the same level.” (Friedman, p. 613) A comparison was made between David Neeleman, the founder of Jet Blue and bin Laden. Neeleman used his imagination to lift people up by starting an airline that created jobs and low cost travel. Bin Laden used his twisted imagination to create human tragedy. One of our greatest challenges today is to figure out how to encourage positive imagination. The author states, “We need to think more seriously than ever about how we encourage people to focus on productive outcomes that advance and unite civilization….” (Friedman, p.609). Friedman suggests that people need to work together to change the //context// in which people are raised and live their daily lives. We need to look forward, not back, and continue to create dreams for the future. EBay was used as an example of such a context. It was created using positive imagination, where the playing field was leveled and everyone had the opportunity to fulfill their potential. It provided validation and positive feedback for its users, increased self-esteem, and decreased humiliation. Context is also the reason that although there are so many more Muslims in India than Pakistan, there are no Indian Muslims in al-Qaeda. Although there are problems in India, they live in a democratic society where there is real opportunity for economic advancement. Young people usually want to be part of a world where their dreams can become a reality and they feel self-empowered. There is less blame, less anger and less frustration. Another example are countries that get rich by drilling oil. They are not forced to use their imagination or natural talent to earn money which is why the most creative innovation is happening in parts of the world with no oil. These areas were forced to change their contexts, reform their education systems, and modernize their economies out of necessity. The more countries trade with others, the more they feel connected and the more accepting they are of different cultures and perspectives. Those who feel disconnected are more likely to develop anger, frustration and the imagination of 9/11. People change when they see others like themselves doing well. People need to see the greatness in themselves and be given the tools to bring that out. We need to nurture more people with positive imagination so we have more 11/9s and less 9/11s. As the world becomes flatter, we face more opportunities as well as more challenges. People must be vigilant of the threats without letting it paralyze them. We need to create contexts for people and situations that utilize the positive imagination similar to that of 11/9 to help fight off another 9/11. Although we cannot control others or their societies, we can influence the context so more people can connect, collaborate, and flourish in the flat world.