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Did you know that more pedestrians die in crosswalks than when jaywalking. The reason is because people have a false sense of security in crosswalks and are less likely to look both ways.

This is a wonderful metaphor for how you should think about the future. I know most people believe there is safety in doing what you did yesterday and the day before yesterday. Alas, the paradox of the future is that playing it safe is, in fact, the riskiest thing to do.

The future is racing ahead at breakneck speed and a number of trends—in information technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and social networking—are about to smash into our “crosswalks.” If you want to survive the future my advice is to “unlearn” safety and jaywalk a new path into the future. It may feel riskier but it isn’t.