Illusions of Progress: What Does “Improving Society” Actually Mean?

Modern societies are built on a strong assumption: that we are steadily progressing. Economic growth, technological advancement, and increasing access to information are often taken as clear indicators of improvement.
Yet beneath these metrics, there is growing uncertainty about what “progress” actually means in practice. Rising mental health challenges, declining trust in institutions, and uneven distribution of benefits raise a deeper question: are we genuinely improving, or simply becoming more efficient at producing measurable outcomes that may not reflect human wellbeing?
In this session, we will move beyond surface-level assumptions about development and examine what progress looks like when measured through lived experience rather than statistics.
We will explore how societies define improvement, who gets to decide what counts as success, and whether current models of growth align with human, social, and environmental realities.

Themes we will explore together:

How we define “progress” beyond economic and technological indicators Whether GDP growth and innovation reliably translate into improved quality of life
The tension between measurable development and subjective well-being Who benefits and who is left behind in modern narratives of progress

This is an open space for structured reflection and discussion. The aim is not to reject progress, but to critically examine its definition, assumptions, and consequences.
Bring your perspectives, examples, and willingness to question common narratives.