MIKE ABEL: Cultivate a spirit of generosity

In the grand lottery of life the circumstance of your birth can play a big part in the trajectory of your future. By that I mean the education one receives beyond the classroom.

Be it plain and simple financial sense or witnessing someone build a business, the wisdom and insight gained as a child around the dinner table and on to early adulthood can offer a serious edge in a world that demands both knowledge and discernment.

Unfortunately, this sort of access is all too often unevenly distributed, especially in a country such as SA, where the shadow of apartheid still looms large. And because our tragic legacy of systemic inequality persists, the cycle of limited prospects for those born into less privileged circumstance continues.

But there’s a way to break this cycle — and it lies with how we harness the power of technology. I’m certainly not the first person to say this, but technology is truly the great democratiser of our time.

In an economy such as ours, technology has already enabled us to leapfrog so much, from mobile banking innovations to the way platforms such as Takealot enable small businesses to enter the market. Or, more to the point, what channels such as YouTube and TED Talks have done for people’s access to knowledge. In these ways, technology has the power to bridge the gap between those who have and those who do not.

It reminds me of the famous Greek myth of Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods and gave it to people. That led to Prometheus being banned from Mount Olympus, but what he gave us helped spur innovation and development. Technology is that fire. It can be the great guiding light that illuminates society. Or, it can be used to burn things down. That’s the choice we face.

The transformative potential of technology can only be realised if we wield it wisely; if we don’t we allow it to fuel division and discord, and the unfortunate reality is we’re already seeing that all too often. With 99% smartphone penetration, the opportunity to enhance lives through insight has never been greater.

In an age in which algorithms dictate the content we consume, we risk falling into echo chambers that reinforce our beliefs, rather than challenging us to consider alternative perspectives. The danger of this is what’s referred to as confirmation bias, which not only stifles intellectual growth but also undermines the very foundations of democracy, which thrives on open discourse and the exchange of ideas.

Rather than widening existing social and economic divisions, we need to be finding ways to bridge them. Rather than narrowing our focus to points of difference, we need to be exposing ourselves to new worlds of possibility, opening up conversations rather than shutting them down. We need to push back against an algorithm that wants to feed us content that entrenches our worldview, and instead consider new ideas that build us up, rather than break us down.

Sounds great, you’re thinking, but how? As clichéd as it might sound it begins by cultivating a spirit of generosity. By that I mean helping where you can. There’s a great saying that says “a candle loses nothing by lighting another”. Be that candle, helping spread light, buying a loaf of bread for someone who doesn’t know where their next meal is coming from or, as I’m suggesting here, sharing your knowledge and ideas.

We tend to fixate on the idea of intellectual property. But what if we think of it differently? I’ve never understood the saying “knowledge is power” to mean possessing information to put me ahead of those who don’t. Rather, I think of it in the sense that collective knowledge is power because “a rising tide lifts all boats”. Once again, with fire we have the ability to change the world — if we choose to.

We’ve never had access to information like we do today. Yet we remain limited by prejudice that shuts down different points of view. But what if we go beyond that? What if, instead, we embrace new ideas and perspectives that not only enrich our own lives but also contribute to the collective good? If we do that we move ourselves closer to realising the promise of a truly democratic society, where every voice is heard and every mind is empowered to make a difference.

So, instead of hoarding knowledge for personal gain, let’s embrace the ethos of sharing and collaboration to help empower others to succeed, because that’s where true power of knowledge lies.

• Abel is executive chair and founder of M&C Saatchi Abel.