--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Participatory complexity may well be the…" description: "\"Participatory complexity may well be the key descriptor of the 21st century - in our economies, in our politics, and in our everyday lives.\" — Jamais C..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/221/jamais-cascio-9954_21st-century_participatory-complexity-may-well-be-the_376219.png" --- # Participatory complexity may well be the key descriptor of… ![“Participatory complexity may well be the key descriptor of the 21st century - in our economies, in our politics, and in our everyday lives.” quote by Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/221/jamais-cascio-9954_21st-century_participatory-complexity-may-well-be-the_376219.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/221/jamais-cascio-9954_21st-century_participatory-complexity-may-well-be-the_376219.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/221/jamais-cascio-9954_21st-century_participatory-complexity-may-well-be-the_376219.png) > “Participatory complexity may well be the key descriptor of the 21st century - in our economies, in our politics, and in our everyday lives.” [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights that complex, interactive participation defines modern economies, politics, and daily life. **In simple terms:** Complex participation drives the 21st century. Key Takeaway Embrace collaborative complexity. Themes systems complexity participation modernity Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - urban planning - digital platforms - community organizing - policy making Key Concepts sociology economics political science Questions to Reflect On - What structures enable effective participation? - How do you simplify complex systems? A Different Perspective Complexity can be overwhelming and hard to manage. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [21st century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/21st-century/) [Century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/century/) [Complexity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexity/) [Complexity Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexity-key-3421870/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Everyday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyday/) [Everyday life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyday-life/) [Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keys/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Participatory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/participatory-679466/) [Participatory Complexity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/participatory-complexity-3421869/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [Intelligence augmentation decreases the need for specialization and increases participatory complexity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/intelligence-augmentation-decreases-the-need-for-specialization-and/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [ I think the next \[21st\] century will be the century of complexity. We have already discovered the basic laws that govern matter and understand… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-think-the-next-21st-century-will-be-the-century-of-complexity-we/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The biggest potential and actual crises of the 21st century all have a strong, long, slow aspect with a significant lag between cause and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/the-biggest-potential-and-actual-crises-of-the-21st-century-all-have/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [It's essential for us to develop an imagination that is participatory. Art is the primary way in which this happens. It's the primary way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/it-s-essential-for-us-to-develop-an-imagination-that-is-participatory/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [What should be targeted is a concept of organic, and not just mechanic, democracy that preserves the rule of law, separation of powers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/recep-tayyip-erdogan/what-should-be-targeted-is-a-concept-of-organic-and-not-just-mechanic/) [Recep Tayyip Erdogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/recep-tayyip-erdogan/) > [Participatory democracies. Open economies. Web-based communication. 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Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [Inherently participatory in nature, Community Video focusing on using video to enable communities to communicate amongst themselves as well as with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-edwards/inherently-participatory-in-nature-community-video-focusing-on-using/) [Ben Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-edwards/) > [The menu of this kitchen will have more than soup; it will serve as an opportunity to explore the vast untapped power of food…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kass/the-menu-of-this-kitchen-will-have-more-than-soup-it-will-serve-as-an/) [Sam Kass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kass/) > [This is supposed to be a participatory democracy and if we're not in there participating then the people that will manipulate and exploit the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/this-is-supposed-to-be-a-participatory-democracy-and-if-we-re-not-in/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [If our love for each other really is participatory, then all other human relationships nourish it; it is inclusive, never exclusive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/if-our-love-for-each-other-really-is-participatory-then-all-other/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [In other words, the bar should be maintained at the level of a pluralistic and participatory democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/recep-tayyip-erdogan/in-other-words-the-bar-should-be-maintained-at-the-level-of-a/) [Recep Tayyip Erdogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/recep-tayyip-erdogan/) ## More by Jamais Cascio > [By ignoring tomorrow, we undermine today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/by-ignoring-tomorrow-we-undermine-today/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Most of us who work as professional futurists never really stop gathering information - you never know when a provocative, potentially disruptive new development…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/most-of-us-who-work-as-professional-futurists-never-really-stop/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [We've already seen digital picture frames pre-loaded with viruses; I'm not eager to have my refrigerator hacked or my alarm clock turned against me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/we-ve-already-seen-digital-picture-frames-pre-loaded-with-viruses-i-m/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [You need to recognize that the copyright date on a book reflects when it came out, not when it was written - assume that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/you-need-to-recognize-that-the-copyright-date-on-a-book-reflects-when/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Human beings are social animals; we devote a significant portion of our brain just to dealing with interactions with other humans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/human-beings-are-social-animals-we-devote-a-significant-portion-of/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [It's remarkably easy to dig up enormous amounts of information about individuals, without their consent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/it-s-remarkably-easy-to-dig-up-enormous-amounts-of-information-about/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Nearly every communication method we invent eventually conveys unwanted commercial messages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/nearly-every-communication-method-we-invent-eventually-conveys/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Preventing global warming from becoming a planetary catastrophe may take something even more drastic than renewable energy, superefficient urban design, and global carbon taxes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/preventing-global-warming-from-becoming-a-planetary-catastrophe-may/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Is there a better example of natural selection in action than 'Project Runway?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/is-there-a-better-example-of-natural-selection-in-action-than-project/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Carbon dioxide isn't the only greenhouse gas out there. Other substances, such as water vapor and nitrous oxide, also trap heat to varying degrees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/carbon-dioxide-isn-t-the-only-greenhouse-gas-out-there-other/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Futures thinking is hard work. Fortunately, you do get better at it with practice. It's worth the effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/futures-thinking-is-hard-work-fortunately-you-do-get-better-at-it/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Technologists and futurists call the mashup of digital info and physical space 'blended reality.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/technologists-and-futurists-call-the-mashup-of-digital-info-and/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Intelligence augmentation decreases the need for specialization and increases participatory complexity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/intelligence-augmentation-decreases-the-need-for-specialization-and/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Fragile economies and weak infrastructures tend to worsen the results of climate disruptions, a problem exemplified by Bangladesh's vulnerability to monsoons, accelerating desertification in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/fragile-economies-and-weak-infrastructures-tend-to-worsen-the-results/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Cloud computing offers individuals access to data and applications from nearly any point of access to the Internet, offers businesses a whole new way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/cloud-computing-offers-individuals-access-to-data-and-applications/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) [Explore all 69 Jamais Cascio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) ## More 21st century quotes > [The young people today are the 21st century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/the-young-people-today-are-the-21st-century/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [“You know it’s the 21st Century when someone TEXTS you from the washroom to ask you to bring them a roll of toilet paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/comic-strip-mama/you-know-it-s-the-21st-century-when-someone-texts-you-from-the/) [Comic Strip Mama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/comic-strip-mama/) > [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. Only you can shoot me down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-james/i-am-made-of-a-thousand-ghosts-only-you-can-shoot-me-down/) [Bella James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-james/) > [Like many others, I have deep misgivings about the state of education in the United States. Too many of our students fail to graduate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/like-many-others-i-have-deep-misgivings-about-the-state-of-education/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Undeniably, character does count for our citizens, out communities, and our Nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/undeniably-character-does-count-for-our-citizens-out-communities-and/) [William J. 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In the 21st…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/the-20th-century-has-been-marked-by-cynicism-selfishness-greed-and/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [I firmly believe that the mission of religion in the 21st century must be to contribute concretely to the peaceful coexistence of humankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/i-firmly-believe-that-the-mission-of-religion-in-the-21st-century/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [Facebook, Twitter...Welcome to The 21st Century...Where Someone can stalk you without leaving the couch!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/facebook-twitter-welcome-to-the-21st-century-where-someone-can-stalk/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Human Race is all over universe! And I am the first person to inform you. I am the most influential person of this decade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwani-kumar-ojha/human-race-is-all-over-universe-and-i-am-the-first-person-to-inform/) [Ashwani Kumar Ojha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwani-kumar-ojha/) > [Like the railroads that brought us together in the 19th century, these trails will bring us together in the 20th and 21st centuries. (at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/like-the-railroads-that-brought-us-together-in-the-19th-century-these/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [What I love about making albums in the 21st century is that so few people buy albums! 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