Throughout history, humans who live together have had to answer the question, 'what do we owe each other?' Childcare, education, nursing for the sick, support for the elderly, every one of us will need some or all of these things over the course of our lives. The author argues that our current social contracts fail to accommodate massive changes in demography, work and the expectations of women and that each society must navigate a new social contract suited to new realities. How we can better support each other to thrive.