As an elder, Jim Selman turned his attention to some of the larger narratives at play in society. Politics, artificial intelligence, and aging were common subjects in his conversations and writing. We invite you to engage with the ideas he was playing with in these articles.
What future will use us?
On what it means to be a citizen in a spectator society, and what can we do after the 2024 U.S. election to positively impact the future
Remedy to Resignation
What can be done when a person, a crowd, or a country become resigned? Jim shares what he knows about the remedy to resignation.
Recovering our faith in America’s future
Jim Selman reflects on what Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race means for America’s constitutional democracy.
As Anti-Trump as ever
Jim Selman’s personal response to Joe Biden’s choice to step down from his presidential candidacy in July 2024.
American Populism & The Slippery Slope Toward No Possibility
Jim Selman raises the alarm: the rise of populism in America may signal the nation’s slide into resignation.
Beyond Othering
Is it possible to overcome political ‘othering’? Jim Selman explores how we as individuals, through conversations for commitment and relationship, can.
Why we ‘other’ each other
Jim Selman explores the notion of ‘othering’, why it persists, and a practice that overcomes it in this July 2024 post.
Healing America’s Festering Sore
Do you dread speaking up when politics enter a conversation? Jim Selman suggests a practical strategy for participating in this June 2024 post.
America’s Festering Sore
The 2024 U.S. election wasn’t about Democrats versus Republicans. Jim Selman shares his perspective on what was in the background in this post.
Our Spectator Society
Jim Selman confronts his screen addiction and what he can do about it in this June 2024 article.
Complaints & Complacency
Jim Selman riffs on being a responsible citizen, commitment, and constitutional democracy in this June 2024 article.
Who is responsible for presidential leadership?
Jim Selman shared these thoughts about how we can relate to presidential leadership on Medium in February 2018.
Time to Saddle Up
Wonder how Trump succeeds at hijacking our conversations? Jim Selman shares three reasons in this article, originally posted June 20th 2018 on Medium.
Ethics & AI: The Importance of Context
There are three requirements for making ethical choices: a background, a context, and an observer. What if we can’t tell whether our context is being created by human beings or by AI?
Ethics & AI: The Basics
Does AI have ethics? Artificial general intelligence (AGI) is still a dream. But generative AI (GenAI) influences and impacts our business choices and practices today.
Action in Language
Leaders use the tool of language to mobilize people to action. Can GenAI, with all its conversational capabilities, help?
Talking to Stones
Communicating a possibility you see is often an uphill battle. Not because you can’t explain yourself well, but because of the universally dangerous condition Jim calls “cognitive blindness”.
In my Lifetime
None of us really knows where the world is headed. So how do you, as a leader, talk about the future?
Where Did Sentience Begin?
The debate about whether artificial intelligence can—or will—become sentient continues. Meanwhile, here’s how to achieve some degree of serenity by taking charge of how you relate to AI.
Doomsday: A Dead End?
AI has hacked our reality. This alien intelligence is evolving at a remarkable pace. What can leaders do to avoid succumbing to doomsday scenarios?