George Orwell’s novel “1984” demonstrates how unquestioned narratives dominate minds—much like the modern dogma claiming endless economic growth is the sole path to prosperity. Autonomous citizens must rethink what prosperity truly means: is it sugar-addicted children, burnout-ridden workplaces, and cities choked by parked cars, or health, vibrant ecosystems, and meaningful time? When economic expansion destroys glaciers and basic living conditions, growth becomes a formula for collapse. We need to abandon outdated GDP metrics to elevate genuine quality of life.
