Jim Rutt characterizes metamodernism as an emergent cultural paradigm that navigates the oscillation between modernist rationality and postmodernist skepticism, forging a new synthesis that embraces both earnestness and irony, hope and doubt. He sees it as a response to the limitations of postmodern relativism, which often leads to cynicism and disorientation, proposing instead a layered approach to meaning and truth. This paradigm underscores a dynamic and dialogic interplay between these previously polarized perspectives, fostering a renewed sense of purpose and engagement. Rutt views metamodernism as an adaptive framework for addressing the complexities of contemporary life, encouraging a pragmatic yet aspirational mindset that is deeply mindful of context, contradiction, and the interconnectedness of human experience.

See also: emergence, evolutionary computing, quantum foundations, cultural evolution, edge of chaos