Act always so as to increase the number of choices.

(Heinz von Foerster)1

We are condemned to be free.

(Jean-Paul Sartre)2

In the quest for understanding, we are often deceived by the idea of actuality—the fixed, consensus-based reality we assume to be the foundation of our actions. Yet this "actuality" is a construct, an ephemeral agreement masking the deeper truth: only potential is real. True existence is defined not by static outcomes but by unfolding possibilities that seek emancipation through the active engagement of a searching, orienting subject.

Quantum insights: the fallacy of fixed reality

Quantum physics, particularly the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, reminds us that particles exist in a superposition of states—potentialities waiting to be realized through observation. Similarly, what we call "reality" is not predetermined; it is constantly becoming, shaped by our perceptions and actions. This is not the world of Aristotle's “substance,” where things are what they are, but one of constant emergence, where the world is a field of potential constantly collapsing into momentary actuality.

In quantum mechanics, Schrödinger's cat is both alive and dead, a perfect metaphor for the human condition: we navigate potential, oscillating between possibilities until we actively collapse them into our chosen path. We are not passive actors in a fixed world but active co-creators, constantly actualizing the futures we engage with. Thus, what we refer to as "reality" is nothing but negotiated potential, and our job is not to control it but to elevate it through our choices.

The emanation of reality through subjective orientation

In this framework, the searching subject is not a passive observer but the central agent of intersubjective reality formation. Only through our active orientation and engagement with the world do potentials take on real substance. Reality, as a collective construct, emerges through subjective intersubjectivity, the shared recognition and elevation of potential into a common space. In this sense, actuality is a byproduct of potential emancipating itself—realized not through external agreements, but through the active, conscious choices of individuals who orient themselves toward possibility.

The philosopher Edmund Husserl, in his phenomenology, sought to uncover the structures of consciousness that allow us to engage with the world. However, the deeper truth lies not merely in how we perceive the world but in how we shape it through our orientation. The active subject navigates and elevates potential, recognizing the unfolding opportunities that demand engagement.

Beyond redundant power structures: emancipating human potential

In the world of leadership, education, and governance, redundant structures reinforce static realities—those shadowy agreements that limit human potential by locking individuals into predefined roles. To transcend this, we must shift our focus from maintaining actuality to fostering potential. True leadership does not dictate outcomes but facilitates the emergence of new potentials, enabling individuals to recognize and engage with their own latent possibilities. Education, too, must become a process of emancipation—not imposing knowledge but unlocking the inner genius within every learner.

In my own research, I emphasize the need for a cybernetic ethical imperative: always act in a way that expands potential and increases the autonomy of those involved. This principle, derived from second-order cybernetics and constructivism, highlights that every action we take either reinforces existing structures or opens new avenues for human growth. The ethical choice, therefore, is always the one that liberates potential rather than closing it off.

Potential as the only true reality

If we accept that potential is the only true reality, then our ethical and strategic frameworks must adapt accordingly. AI systems, for example, should not merely process current data but be designed to recognize and enhance human potential. This means embedding systems with the capacity to adapt to new and emerging futures, to help individuals transcend their current limitations.

In AI ethics, the focus must shift from preventing harm to actively enabling growth. Every decision we make in designing AI collapses potential futures into one realized path, and it is our responsibility to choose futures that maximize emancipatory outcomes. Heinz von Foerster's dictum to "increase the number of choices" becomes not just a suggestion but an imperative for the ethical development of AI and technology.

Co-creating an elevated reality

The task of co-creating reality is inherently a collective one. No single individual can dictate the full realization of potential; it is a shared endeavor that requires the collaboration of diverse perspectives and voices. Intersubjectivity is the process through which we collectively elevate potential into a lived reality, each subject contributing their orientation to the whole.

This is not a passive engagement. The act of orienting oneself in the world is an active, dynamic process of recognizing and elevating potential, of seeking out possibilities and bringing them into realization. This is the foundation of what I call the sapiocratic framework, where governance, education, and innovation are all directed toward the emancipation of potential. In a sapiocratic society, the focus is not on maintaining existing power structures but on fostering the collective emergence of human genius.

The new reality: potential elevated

Ultimately, reality is not something we inhabit but something we create through engagement. The true task of leadership, education, and innovation is to elevate reality, to bring forth the latent possibilities of the world and actualize them through our collective action.

We are not bound by the shadow of actuality; we are the agents of its transformation. In a world where potential is the only true reality, our task is to continually orient ourselves toward those possibilities that emancipate, empower, and elevate human potential.

This is the essence of true creative existence: not to live within the confines of a pre-determined world, but to actively shape the infinite landscape of possibilities that lie before us.

The metaphysical principle behind actuality can only be grasped by a fully emancipated, recognizing subject. In the mediated reality of collective action, true subjectivity is obstructed—reduced to a mere gesture towards its own emancipation. Our human symbolic world is saturated with redundancy-distorted constants and constructs of false complexity.Only when the world becomes scalable through a self-regulating bio-socio-technological infrastructure, and the meaning-oriented subject is freed, does the underlying reality of potential in becoming reveal itself. It is in this moment that the simple metaphysical principle becomes truly visible.

Notes

1 A quote by Heinz von Foerster, a pioneer in cybernetics and second-order systems theory. This quote perfectly encapsulates the essence of enabling potential and creating futures, aligning with the idea that ethical action must expand possibilities rather than confining them to pre-existing structures.
2 A quote by Jean-Paul Sartre, an existential philosopher. This statement reflects the boundless nature of human freedom in a world of potential, underscoring the responsibility we hold in shaping reality through our choices and actions.