The dealer always wins: the universal system is the outcome. So I disagree. It is paramount to understand the flow to not waste our energy going against it but to ride its waves properly. Meaning to set our course to the best options that are available to us within that outcome.

Some are crystal clear. Like the law of thermodynamics. The ending of the era of cheap and abundant fossil fuels will lead to a massive spatial reconfiguration. Under that law concentration without massive cheap inflow becomes far too expensive to upkeep. Therefore most urban conglomerations will decay and phase out.

It's the information one I'm unsure of. Quantum computing needs the centralisation of information. Dispersed models are perhaps fundamentally more resilient but are inherently less powerful. And in these early stages, I don't expect any form of parallel computing to run soon. The competitive advantage is far too powerful to share

We are at the threshold of that budding era. One thing is clear, as Yuval Harari states, most of humanity will become "mostly useless" at best and a liability at worst.

The question is how are we going to organise our uselessness? Especially if we remain in constant denial. Then we already know that outcome. No idyllic little corner will be spared in the onslaught. So no. understanding systems is vital if you want your children to survive somehow. The other alternative is to opt for Derrick Jensen's lucid understanding of our predicament and to consciously remain childless. But for many of us that no longer is an option...