Courtesy of We Are California
The Three Earths Framework was developed by Ai Jen Poo as a way of understanding the moment we’re in so we can move powerfully toward the world we deserve. It’s been a great way for me to organize my thoughts amidst all of the chaos in the world today. Sometimes I can’t figure out what to build towards while I am mourning the familiar systems of hope and dream-building that are disappearing one by one.
The core idea is to recognize what's fading from the past (Earth One), take stock of the chaotic dismantling happening now (Earth Two), and imagine the world we want to build (Earth Three). Sounds hella Asimov.
“We cannot navigate this moment by clinging to the old rules or assuming guardrails will hold. THEY WON’T. We must understand how power is operating in our world now and rethink our strategies and relationships to contend for the future, a future worth fighting for.”
These three Earths exist simultaneously and always have. The difference today is that Earth 2 is extremely dominant. It affects everyone, not just the marginalized. There’s a dual crisis here:
The rapid consolidation of authoritarianism
Democratic institutions are being hollowed out faster than they can be defended
Shattered public attention leading to misinformation and polarization
People can’t coordinate on facts, let alone respond to what is happening in an organized way.
If you don’t want to think about it politically, think about it as it pertains to your career.
Earth 1: The illusion of a linear career path, corporate loyalty, predictable pensions and the belief that a higher education guarantees lifelong stability. I think we all know that thanks to corporate restructuring, automation, and the erosion of standard benefits have permanently dismantled the traditional safety net. Expecting Earth One stability in the modern workforce leads to professional burnout and stagnation.
Earth 2: A landscape of constant volatility, tech disruption and mass layoffs. Contract/gig work is the norm, AI is restructuring industries overnight and intense worker anxiety is spreading like wildfire. This is where we’re at right now. Employers have all the structural advantages and workers are perpetually upskilling to work more for the same income. Survival here is all about letting go of those old career expectations.
Earth 3: A future workforce model where stability is rooted in adaptability, learning and, yes, collective power. There should be universal benefits. It sounds exhausting but the way forward here is to diversify our income streams, prioritize deeper peer networks over corporate loyalty and to collaborate with AI instead of competing against it.
So, what can be done?
Earth 1: Slow down the dismantling of systems, institutions and remind people how democracy should work. Vote in your local elections. That's where institutional decay is most reversible.
Earth 2: We need to care for each other, make sure we survive while also learning how to maintain our right to voice our opinions democratically. Build one deep peer relationship this month with someone outside your industry.
Earth 3: We need to build a shared vision of a new Earth, a new way of living, that works for the majority not the privileged few. Contribute to one collective project that models the world you want.
Yeah, I’m sick of living in interesting times, but that’s the board we've all landed on and we all have to do our part. As a Third Culture Adult, I've spent my whole life navigating between worlds that don't quite exist anymore and hope for a world that haven't arrived yet. In that sense the Three Earths framework isn't brand new to me but it is a language to put the fragmented thoughts together and build a path forward.
The question is no longer whether we engage. But rather, how and how often, and in what context.
The time to answer that question is now.