Seven Signs Of The Coming Of A New World
1- 27.10.2026, 14:34
Who will write the rules for him?
If it seems to you that we live in a world where all the rules have broken down—you’re not imagining it. That’s really the case.
Seven fundamental, familiar things have broken down. They’ve come to an end.
1. The end of the world order. The end of the notion that there are unshakable rules and principles in the world, as well as reliable alliances and allies. That the world is guided by values and agreements. That it’s possible to have a small defense budget and focus solely on prosperity, while someone else takes care of security. That there’s a clear line between peace and war, and that war can be prevented from crossing those boundaries.
2. The End of Globalization. A significant portion of world trade passes through a few narrow straits. Hypothetical “barbarians” can paralyze world trade, even when it’s protected by aircraft carriers—this used to annoy us in Sid Meier’s Civilization, but today it has become a reality. Value chains can suddenly and abruptly break down. The goods or services you’ve purchased may suddenly stop working due to a political decision made somewhere far away. Cost is no longer “king”—you have to think about security when buying something on another continent.
3. The end of unconditional growth. The extensive economic model relied on three factors: population growth, expansion into new markets, and the inexhaustibility of natural resources. Today, all three factors have reached their limits. And businesses are accustomed to always setting financial targets higher than last year’s figures. We can no longer rely on cheap money globally (though it doesn’t really matter to us—we never had it to begin with). After all, it sometimes happens that GDP still grows, while all indicators of quality of life decline.
4. The end of the familiar way of life. In the past, education served as a social elevator for life. Today, this elevator often doesn’t work or runs erratically—and in both directions. The principle that children will live better than their parents is becoming a thing of the past. And an ever-smaller number of children will have to support an ever-increasing number of elderly people, causing the intergenerational contract to crack at the seams.
5. The End of Ideologies. The right and the left are becoming less and less distinguishable in their economic programs, competing in populism: who can make the most attractive promises without any intention of fulfilling them. Dreams of social consensus are in vain. Moreover, informal institutions representing specific interests (often focused on a single issue) are gaining more influence than formal ones.
6. The end of faith in progress. Democracy and freedom have not triumphed throughout the world, as was once believed after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Formal education is on the rise, but this does not lead to greater maturity or wisdom. The accumulation of knowledge does not translate into other benefits: peace, prosperity, justice, and so on.
All of this did not happen overnight. It happened gradually and sometimes imperceptibly, but here we are at last.
You might say that I promised seven, but ended up with six. Six isn’t the most appealing number, but everyone likes seven. So here’s the seventh one, which explains the previous ones.
7. The end of predictability and certainty. In reality, the six familiar things mentioned above haven’t disappeared forever—all at once, everywhere, and for everyone. What has disappeared is our certainty that they are eternal and guaranteed.
This is not the end of the world. It is a rupture between eras: the old rules no longer apply, and the new ones have not yet been written. An interregnum.
Who will define these new rules?
Throughout history, it has consistently been the case that during periods of power vacuum, new rules are set by small players on the periphery of the system. Those who live on the edge, on the frontier, and are the first to see emerging trends. Those who have the courage to shape the course of events. Those who haven’t been spoiled by a comfortable life at the center of the system. Those capable of acting amid uncertainty, without expecting guarantees from the world. Those who adapt more quickly.
Perhaps that’s us.
Valery Pekar, lecturer at the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School, Facebook.
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