I recently spent two weeks travelling across Egypt—the mysterious land of an ancient civilization that thrived for millennia. I planned to write a pragmatic post about resilience, but what I discovered raised deep questions instead. Let me share these reflections with you, structured around a few key themes.
Is Time Span a Measure of Resilience?
Egypt’s ancient civilization lasted roughly 3,000 years, from around 3100 BCE to shortly before our own era. That’s an incredible length of time. In today’s fast-paced world, three centuries might already feel “ancient,” let alone three millennia.
Despite lasting so long, it disappeared under the sand. It was forgotten and only rediscovered in the late 18th century. This civilization created impressive things, built vast knowledge and yet did not survive. It lasted so much longer than our industrial civilization, but did not manage to transform itself and finally collapsed.
Does longevity itself prove resilience?
Or maybe true resilience lies in adaptation—not just survival?
Ancient Egypt adapted multiple times, evidenced by different dynasties and foreign rulers. However, it eventually failed to continue adapting and lost its resilience.
The Patience or Slowness?
Visiting the temple at Karnak is surreal. Thirty successive pharaohs added to it over a span of nearly 2,000 years. Each successive ruler added new elements, such as pylons, colonnades, obelisks and side temples.
Our industrial civilization has dramatically transformed the world in only 200 years. Since 1800, so many things have been built, destroyed, rebuilt, and changed that whatever takes more than a year is considered a long-term endeavour. Instant results often dominate decision-making. Psychologists call this tendency “present bias” or “hyperbolic discounting,” meaning we heavily value immediate gains over long-term benefits.
Has our modern pace made us forget the value of patience?
Are we losing a multi-generational perspective?
Projects that might span decades or centuries can seem impractical in boardrooms fixated on quarterly earnings. Yet, I believe some industries—like sustainable energy or large-scale environmental initiatives—do require that broader lens. Balancing swift innovation with patience could be a key to true resilience.
Do We Have a Bigger Purpose?
Ancient Egyptians built colossal monuments with seemingly little “practical” value for daily life. Their focus was on the afterlife. This deep, collective purpose unified them for centuries. Today, our obsession tends to revolve around material growth. We race for profits, productivity, and economic expansion at all costs, often forgetting the planet’s limits.
Are we really all that different if our “eternal life” pursuit is now shaped by tech and economic growth rather than pyramids?
We will not know if our civilization will survive as long as ancient Egypt; perhaps it will vanish as quickly as it emerged. This remains to be seen, and maybe someone in 5,000 years will think about those ancient people who were obsessed with economic growth—and wonder.
I think, however, that if our modern obsession with economic and technological progress does not serve a greater good—like improving health, reducing inequalities, or safeguarding the environment—then it will not be resilient. True shared purpose connects people over generations and fosters a willingness to adapt. Without that sense of something bigger, societies can lose direction, crumble under their own complexity and be forgotten.
What is The Value of Reflection?
One of the best parts of my trip was witnessing how the grandeur of the past prompts deep reflection. Stoic philosophy and mindful practices encourage us to stay anchored in the present. However, I believe occasional reflection—looking at great civilizations that rose and fell—offers humility and perspective. We can see our own challenges in a broader timeline and realize that life’s impermanence can also be a powerful motivator for meaningful change.
Reflecting on the past can keep us humble and inspire us to tackle our current problems with fresh eyes.
Studies in leadership development often highlight “strategic pauses,” urging executives to take time for deeper thought. Pausing to learn from history may be the difference between a quick win and truly enduring success.
Closing Thoughts
Even the mightiest can fail. Ancient Egypt’s colossal achievements were buried under sand for centuries, forgotten by the world until rediscovered in the 19th century. That’s a humbling reminder that no matter how grand or innovative we are today, resilience demands constant reinvention and a unifying mission that goes beyond immediate gratification.
Thank you for reading, and I hope this trip back in time inspires you to consider how we, too, might leave our mark without getting lost to the sands of time.
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Right, right, right:-) I would enforce word: require (in the sentence:"Yet, I believe some industries—like sustainable energy or large-scale environmental initiatives—do require that broader lens") and change to "demand". We look at and search for current, fast bnefits and this is the difference. But we also need to bare in mind that these spectacular ancient residues are results of individual men: faraons or so. Not thousands of slaves who had been built those residues. Maybe nowodays we also have such individuals but we don't see them. My first thought - Elon Musk/Sreve Jobs/Antonio Gaudi and a bit older but from times from our era monuments like: Louvre, Malbork, Taj Mahal, Chichen Itza, Wawel and many many others.