I think I agree with you that many people won’t want rapid change.
However, it seems inevitable that some people will (even just part of the EA/​rationalist sphere, though I think people wanting explosive growth would be a fair bit broader set). And so if even a small fraction of the population wants to undertake explosive growth, and they are free to do so, then it will happen and they will quickly comprise ~all of the world economy.
This is a huge if: maybe the status quo ante will have powerful enough proponents that they prevent anyone from pursuing explosive growth.
But I think it is also quite plausible a few people will go and colonise space or do some other explosive-growth-conducive thing, and that there will be a bunch of people kind of technologically ‘left behind’, perhaps by choice.
I think I agree with you that many people won’t want rapid change.
However, it seems inevitable that some people will (even just part of the EA/​rationalist sphere, though I think people wanting explosive growth would be a fair bit broader set). And so if even a small fraction of the population wants to undertake explosive growth, and they are free to do so, then it will happen and they will quickly comprise ~all of the world economy.
This is a huge if: maybe the status quo ante will have powerful enough proponents that they prevent anyone from pursuing explosive growth.
But I think it is also quite plausible a few people will go and colonise space or do some other explosive-growth-conducive thing, and that there will be a bunch of people kind of technologically ‘left behind’, perhaps by choice.