Shaping the Future: How to Think Long-Term in a Short-Term World

In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to get caught up in short-term thinking and immediate gratification. However, futurist Ari Wallach argues that we need to cultivate long-term thinking to create a better future for ourselves and generations to come. In this article, we'll explore Wallach's concept of "long path" thinking and how we can implement it in our lives.

The Importance of Long-Term Thinking

Wallach contends that humans have a unique ability for mental time travel - we can project ourselves into the future and imagine different scenarios. This capability has been crucial to our success as a species. However, in today's world of constant notifications and instant gratification, we've become trapped in what Wallach calls "presentism" - an obsessive focus on the immediate present.

This short-term mindset makes it difficult for us to think about and plan for the long-term future. Yet Wallach argues that now more than ever, we need to cultivate long-term thinking to address major challenges like climate change, artificial intelligence, and synthetic biology.

The Three Pillars of Long Path Thinking

Wallach's "long path" approach rests on three key pillars:

1. Transgenerational empathy
2. Futures thinking
3. Telos (ultimate aim or purpose)

Let's explore each of these in more detail.

Transgenerational Empathy

Transgenerational empathy involves developing empathy across time - for ourselves, for those who came before us, and for future generations. Wallach breaks this down into three components:

1. Empathy for self - Having self-compassion and recognizing you're doing the best you can with what you have. This provides a foundation for empathy with others.

2. Empathy with the past - Understanding the context and challenges faced by previous generations. Reading biographies and learning history can help cultivate this.

3. Empathy for the future - Imagining and caring about the lives of future generations, even those we'll never meet.

Developing transgenerational empathy allows us to see our lives as part of a larger continuum rather than isolated units.

Futures Thinking

Wallach emphasizes thinking about multiple possible futures rather than a single predetermined future. This involves:

• Recognizing that the future is something we actively create, not just passively receive
• Imagining different scenarios and possibilities
• Collaborating with others to manifest positive futures

Telos (Ultimate Aim)

Telos refers to having a sense of ultimate purpose or aim. Wallach argues that in a secular age, we've lost the overarching sense of purpose that religion once provided. We need to rediscover a collective purpose as a species to guide our long-term decision making.

Practical Ways to Cultivate Long-Term Thinking

Wallach offers several concrete practices to help develop a long-term mindset:

Write a Letter to Your Future Self

Write a letter to yourself 5 or 10 years in the future. Describe your hopes, dreams, and aspirations. This exercise helps you envision your future self and creates a roadmap for getting there.

Display an Empty Picture Frame

Place an empty picture frame alongside family photos to represent future generations. This visual reminder can help you consider the long-term impact of your decisions.

Look at an Aged Photo of Yourself

Use age progression software to create an image of your older self. Display this photo as a daily reminder to make decisions with your future self in mind.

Conduct a Death Meditation

While it may sound morbid, contemplating your own mortality can actually be freeing. It can help you focus on what truly matters and motivate you to create a positive legacy.

Read Biographies

Reading about historical figures helps develop empathy for the past and puts our own lives in perspective.

Create Time Capsules

Make physical or digital time capsules to preserve aspects of the present for future generations.

Shifting from Dystopia to Protopia

Wallach notes that most popular visions of the future, especially in young adult fiction, are dystopian. He argues we need more "protopian" stories - visions of futures that are better than today, even if not perfect. Creating and sharing such stories can inspire hope and motivate positive action.

The Ripple Effect of Individual Actions

While the challenges we face can seem overwhelming, Wallach emphasizes that our individual actions matter. How we treat others, the decisions we make, and the behaviors we model all have ripple effects that extend far beyond our immediate sphere.

By adopting long-term thinking, we can become "great ancestors" - people who made decisions and took actions that benefited future generations. Even if our names aren't remembered, our positive impact can echo through time.

Conclusion

Cultivating long-term thinking isn't easy in our fast-paced, short-term focused world. However, Wallach argues it's essential for addressing the major challenges we face and creating a positive future for generations to come.

By developing transgenerational empathy, engaging in futures thinking, and reconnecting with a sense of larger purpose, we can expand our mental time horizons. Simple practices like writing to our future selves or displaying reminders of future generations can help us make better long-term decisions.

Ultimately, thinking long-term isn't just about the future - it can enrich our lives in the present by giving us a greater sense of meaning and connection to something larger than ourselves. By becoming "great ancestors," we can create ripples of positive change that extend far beyond our individual lifespans.

Article created from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgr22uMsJ5o