Humans enjoy performance. This is evident through any passing study of culture, arts, architecture and archaeology.
Much of what we do is performative: putting a brave face on things, following our training, dressing for the occasion, ‘faking it until we make it’ etc.
This not a criticism, it’s simply an observation.
Whether nature or nurture many people are highly private individuals. Training can allow us to overcome irrational or emotional responses to protect or help others as well as ourselves in times of crises. Taking time to understand the lay of any new working space, organsiation or environment is arguably good sense.
We may engage in performance ourselves to the extent that we sacrifice some of our true selves: putting our heads down, turning a blind eye, not rocking the boat.
We have so many turns of phrase for such behaviours, don’t you think?
Again… all too human.
2026 has already seen an almost unprecedented shift in world politics to the extent that nation states and blocs are mooting a thorough and rapid disconnect from reliance on the Microsofts, Amazons, TikTok’s (and others) of the world to support digital services.
I say ‘almost unprecedented’ because all this has has happened before, more or less.
Mostly more.
Students of history, politics and international relations and economics can point to any number of cases in history where assuming the status quo of economic interdependence has failed to prevent conflict from breaking out.
See the following:
- Human history ad nauseum
Those who adopt a realistic perspective on things are often dismissed for being too dour, to full of ‘doom and gloom’ and can easily be dismissed with a vague handwave on sunny days and a cry of; “We’ve never had it so good”.
The truth is often a bitter pill to swallow.
Look… nobody said reality was going to be nice.
Sources of data, information and knowledge face the same risks they always have.
Concerns about confidentiality, integrity and accessibility of to data, information and knowledge have not changed in their nature… but the liklihood of them ocurring has definitley increased.
And we’ve not even reached the end of January.
Performance is a common thread woven throughout the fabric of human civilisation… but let’s not fool ourselves.
Seriously, let’s not.
If you are responsible for data, information and knowledge repositories and systems in your organisation you need consider your strategy and plan accordingly in light of ongoing geopolitical events.