This is the first article of a two-part series exploring the complexity of the evolutionary process of life from cosmological and systems science perspectives, and how to apply these understandings to human and societal development. In particular, for addressing the harmful misconceptions of complexity from mechanistic systems and worldviews that have dominated human development for centuries, and are at the root of the contemporary sustainability crisis. We start by exploring the bases of quantum physics and how it has evolved into a more nuanced form through the rise of relational quantum mechanics. To better understand the features of a quantum world, instead of a mechanistic world, we postulate a systems view and offer three essential principles of quantum reality: fundamental uncertainty, contextuality-complementarity, and non-locality. This is followed by an exploration of three evolutionary principles and how to apply them to enable transformative emergence for thrivability