Part 1-8
Around 70,000 years ago, a transformative event occurred that would mark humanity forever:
the Cognitive Revolution.
This turn not only gave Homo sapiens the ability to imagine worlds beyond tangible reality but also solidified our position as unique social animals in the evolutionary landscape.
Understanding our evolutionary history is not just a matter of cultural curiosity. It’s paramount to anticipate and shape our future. How can we predict where we’re heading without first understanding where we’ve come from?
Throughout its vast and intricate history, humanity has always placed great value on socialization and collective moments. From the early societies of hunter-gatherers, humans have always sought occasions to come together, celebrate, and share experiences.
Today’s collective events, such as exhibitions, are a modern manifestation of this intrinsic human need to connect.
But to genuinely appreciate the power and significance of these events, we must return to our roots.
During the Cognitive Revolution, Homo sapiens developed an unprecedented ability: to create and share stories.
These narratives allowed people to collaborate in much larger groups than any other animal could. As the size and complexity of these groups grew, so did the need for meeting moments and places.
Here, the earliest forms of collective events were born.
But why, of all living beings, did only we feel the need to gather in this way?
The answer lies in our nature as social animals. Being “social” for Homo sapiens isn’t just about needing company. It’s a profound interconnectedness that drives us to seek, create, and maintain bonds, not just for survival but to thrive.
Every fair, every exhibition, every event we attend today is an echo of this ancient necessity.
They are moments where our legacy as social animals is celebrated in all its magnificence.
But in a rapidly evolving world, where technology is changing how we interact, we must ask: what will the future of collective events be?
To answer this question, we must look back to the past again.
The Cognitive Revolution showed us that we can adapt, innovate, and reinvent our way of socializing in response to the challenges we face.
No matter how advanced technology permeates our lives, the fundamental need for connection will remain.
However, as organizers and participants of collective events, we have a responsibility to ensure these moments maintain their essence.
We must remember and honor our roots while embracing the future.
In an increasingly digital world, the temptation to reduce our human interaction to mere clicks might be strong, but we must resist.
We need to continue valuing and investing in collective events as crucial moments of genuine, profound human connection.
