In a “would-be” world not unlike our own, a different century unfolded from 1910 onward. Instead of the relentless march toward mass industrialization, digital revolution, and urban sprawl, humanity chose another road – one less traveled, guided by principles of sustainability, simplicity, and community.
By 1910, the world had already tasted the fruits of industry and innovation. Factories hummed, trains chugged across continents, and the telegraph connected people at an unprecedented speed. But at the dawn of a new decade, humanity stood at a crossroads, and a great debate ensued – a debate that would shape the next century. Visionaries, thinkers, and common folk alike gathered in village halls and city squares, questioning whether the path they had been on was the one they wished to continue.
They saw the rise of machines, the smoke billowing from factories, and the endless race for profit and power. They felt in their bones a yearning for something different. A world that cherished not only progress but the deeper, quieter values that had always defined the best of humanity: compassion, community, a true connection to the earth.
Instead of charging ahead blindly, they chose to pause, to reconsider. They asked themselves what progress truly meant, and in that questioning, they found a new path.
A Different Kind of Progress
By 1920, instead of doubling down on the steel and smoke of industrial empires, societies pivoted toward sustainable technologies. In towns and villages across the globe, new kinds of inventions emerged – not those that sought to replace human hands but to aid them, to make their labor lighter without displacing their souls. Windmills and water wheels were improved upon to power communities with gentle, renewable energy. Houses were built with natural materials, designed to last generations and harmonize with the land. Gardens bloomed everywhere, supplying local produce without the need for vast monocultures or chemical pesticides.
Medicine, too, took a different turn. The science of healing embraced holistic approaches that combined ancient wisdom with the best of new knowledge. Homeopathy, herbal medicine, and treatments that nurtured the body’s natural balance became the cornerstones of healthcare. Great advances were made in understanding the mind-body connection, and doctors saw their patients as whole beings – physical, mental, and spiritual.
And perhaps most remarkably, the people in power were not driven by personal ambition or the pursuit of wealth. Politics was not a career but a calling, and those who stepped into leadership did so reluctantly, at the urging of their communities. Leaders were chosen for their empathy, their wisdom, and their ability to listen. They governed not from distant palaces or skyscrapers but from modest town halls, where anyone could knock on the door and speak their mind.
Economically, a shift occurred. Wealth was no longer measured by accumulation but by the ability to sustain and uplift the community. Small-scale businesses flourished; artisans, farmers, teachers, and healers formed the backbone of a new kind of economy – one that cherished craftsmanship and ethical trade over mass production and exploitation. Goods were made to last, and the idea of built-in obsolescence was viewed as a foolish waste of resources.
The Village at the Center
By 2025, the world had evolved in this slower, more deliberate way. Cities existed, but they were fewer, greener, and built around principles of community and accessibility. Most people still lived in small towns and villages, nestled in the countryside, where they knew their neighbors and felt invested in one another’s well-being. Roads were quieter; people walked or rode bicycles, feeling the wind in their hair, the earth beneath their feet.
Trains, powered by clean energy, ran between towns and villages, connecting people while preserving the beauty of the landscape. A journey by train was not a hurried ordeal but a social occasion – a chance to meet new people, to share stories and wisdom. Stations were small, simple affairs, with gardens tended by the community, a place where children played and elderly men and women sat in the shade, watching the world pass by at its own gentle pace.
In this world, people woke with the sun and rested when it set. They spent their days in meaningful labor – crafting, teaching, farming, healing. Work was not a burden to be borne but a gift, a way to contribute to the world around them. Life was slower, but it was also richer, filled with the small, quiet moments that nourished the soul.
Families were close-knit, and communities gathered often to celebrate the turning of the seasons, to share meals, to help one another in times of need. Charity, love, and compassion were not abstract ideals but daily practices. The old, the sick, and the vulnerable were cared for by all, without the need for institutions or bureaucracies.
A World at Peace with Itself
Without the pressures of unbridled consumerism, the earth thrived. Forests grew tall, rivers ran clear, and wildlife flourished. People understood that they were not apart from nature but a part of it, and they lived in harmony with their surroundings. They saw themselves as stewards of the land, not its conquerors.
There were no wars for resources, no battles over oil or minerals, for the need to control and dominate had diminished. Diplomacy, understanding, and cooperation were the norms, and conflicts were resolved through dialogue and compromise. The idea of “us versus them” faded into history, replaced by the understanding that all of humanity was one family, sharing one fragile, beautiful home.
The world was not perfect; it never could be. There were still disagreements, still struggles and hardships, still moments of darkness. But there was a different kind of light guiding humanity now – a light born of wisdom, of kindness, of a deep and abiding love for one another and for the earth itself.
This was the world as it might have been – a world where humanity, having paused at the crossroads in 1910, chose a different way forward. A world where progress was not measured in profit margins or technological leaps but in the things that truly mattered: health, happiness, community, and love.
And in this world, as the sun set over quiet villages and bustling town squares, people felt at peace, knowing they had chosen well.
Join us in making the world a better place…you’ll be glad that you did. Cheers friends.