Are we colonising our children's future?
We're not exactly acting like very good ancestors.
There is another, invisible pandemic that has sadly infected the world.
This one is far less obvious than the viral version, but its affects exponentially more devastating.
Short-termism and our addiction to short-term thinking is a very serious issue for organisations, individuals and society.
In a brilliant article by Richard Fischer - the real problem with our short-term thinking is laid bare:
'You can see it in business, where quarterly reporting encourages CEOs to prioritize short-term investor satisfaction over long-term prosperity. You can see it in populist politics, where leaders are more focused on the next election and the desires of their base than the long-term health of the nation.'
'You can see short-termism in business, in populist politics, and in our collective failure to tackle long-term risks like climate change, pandemics, nuclear war, or antibiotic resistance.'
'Our greatest challenge this century is to transform our relationship with time. History suggests that our horizons have shortened before—but they can expand again. During the pandemic, our “presentism” has become even more extreme, but cultural norms have been challenged too. There may never be a better time to ask what future we actually want.'
Read the full article:
Richard Fisher
Through our love affair with the here and now, our lust of instant gratification and an inability to be patient - we have literally chosen to colonise our children's future.
We have decided that it is more important for us to have convenience today, than for our children to inherit a liveable planet in the future.
We have decided to hand over a world to our kinds that has been stripped of its natural resources, polluted with the exhaust fumes of our SUVs; devoid of trust between people and biodiversity in nature.
We're not exactly acting like very good ancestors.
'Our descendants own the future, but the decisions and actions we make now will tremendously impact generations to come, says philosopher Roman Krznaric. From a global campaign to grant legal personhood to nature to a groundbreaking lawsuit by a coalition of young activists, Krznaric shares examples of ways we can become good ancestors -- or, as he calls them, "Time Rebels" -- and join a movement redefining lifespans, pursuing intergenerational justice and practicing deep love for the planet.'
Roman Krznaric