The Great Obsolescence: Have our development models reached their limits,
and what can be done to address a future full of chaos and complexity?
On Saturday, January 31, 2026 at 6 PM Central, please join the SDi evening Salon group for this presentation and discussion.
Said Dawlabani will be presenting on the topic of The Great Obsolescence: Have our development models reached their limits, and what can be done to address a future full of chaos and complexity?
Whether termed the “meta-crisis” or the “Third Attractor,” systemic chaos and disruption increasingly define a world in disarray. Yet, amidst this seeming disorder, a unifying thread emerges – what Dawlabani identifies as “The Great Obsolescence.” Drawing from his recent book, Second Sapiens, this phenomenon describes three large-scale systems, each in distinct phases of its life cycle, collectively signaling monumental shifts for our species and our planet. These critical cycles, which form the core of this presentation, are grounded in Dawlabani’s application of the Gravesian developmental model to macro- and mega-system change.
In his new work, Dawlabani redefines “Second Tier intelligence” by expanding beyond its common focus on human-built systems. He redirects the emphasis of human development to the broader holonic structure within which it exists: the inherent intelligence of natural systems. This pioneering endeavor transcends and includes what social scientists recognize as the human exceptionalism paradigm. Tracing the Gravesian evolutionary trajectory of science and sociopolitical systems, Dawlabani contends that the dominant intelligence currently governing our scientific, political, and economic realms is insufficient to mitigate the myriad unprecedented challenges we face.
Our current predicament stems from what Dawlabani terms the “deficient behavioral systems of First Sapiens.” This developmental journey, marked by imperfections since the age of hunter-gatherers, has culminated in our present state: the obsolescence of numerous human-built systems and the looming threat of the Sixth Extinction.
Effective solutions necessitate a holistic ecosystem approach, prompting us to ask: “What would Mother Nature do?” Discovering this answer is the path of Second Sapiens, leveraging the intelligence that has sustained life for billions of years.
Said E. Dawlabani is a human evolution theorist and a leading authority on the application of stage development to large scale change. He is a writer and public speaker specializing in the Gravesian approach to psychosocial development and the evolution of societal systems. Named one of the world’s boldest thought leaders in 2019. He’s the cofounder of the Center for Human Emergence Middle East and the author of t: MEMEnomic: The Next Generation Economic System (2013) and Second Sapiens; the Rise of the Planetary Mind and the Future of Humanity (2025).