How to Think Long-Term in a Short-Term World.

Roman Krznaric is a public philosopher who writes about the power of ideas to change society. His books, including Empathy, The Wonderbox and Carpe Diem Regained, have been published in more than 20 languages. His new book, The Good Ancestor: How to Think Long Term in a Short Term World, has been described by U2’s The Edge as ‘the book our children’s children will thank us for reading’.

Think about it for a second, you and I are living in the one and only planet we currently know for sure that sustains life, in the whole universe. Let that sink in. How do you relate with your immediate surroundings? How does your neighborhood look like? How would you like it to look like for the moment when your kids, and their kids, inherit it? Are we currently living with a lifestyle that embraces the idea that we are living in the only planet that we know of that has life within it? Does this idea make you think about how much do you apply the golden rule in every interaction you have with other people, your surroundings, and the Earth itself?

My conversation with Roman and his newest book The Good Ancestor has made me become aware of this. It has always been in my mind, the notion that we haven't found life elsewhere, but I have never thought about how this impacts the life of my children, which I don't plan on having anytime soon, and their children. This is what Roman calls "deep time humility", which means that we can take a step back and think critically about how little time we have to experience life within this blue marble , and how much impact we can have in it.

Unfortunately, right now we are affecting it on the negative more than on the positive. This means that the world that my children inherit will almost certainly be left off worse than the one I inherited. Of course, no one ever has in its right mind the goal of leaving the planet worse for our future generations, but that's exactly what we are doing. But, as Roman argues in his book The Good Ancestor, we can do something about it.

In this conversation we discussed the many ways in which we can be Good Ancestors, from redesigning our political systems so they can take into account the long-term, how can individuals, such as you and me, live a lifestyle that makes us a Good Ancestor, we discuss six types of long-term thinking, and much more.

This is by far one of the most important conversations I will share with you during my trajectory in this show. It made me Think of my future kids, their future kids, and being Good Ancestors; Reading the Good Ancestor has made me want to Apply the Golden Rule with future generations, who have no saying in the world they will inherit, and how being a good ancestor and living a good life are not mutually exclusive but rather excellent complements.

I do hope it makes you think about your relationship with the future generations and it makes you go grab a copy of Roman's book, The Good Ancestor, right now, available everywhere books are sold.

---

Website - www.romankrznaric.com

Buy the book here with a 20% discount.

Twitter - @romankrznaric

Watch Roman's newest TED Talk here

— Highlights —

(5:56) The Good Ancestor: How To Think Long Term in a Short Term World. Why did this book emerge?

(6:20) We are currently living in an age of The Tyranny of the Now.

(7:01) How long is long term thinking?

(8:20) Tug of war between the short-term part of our brains versus the long-term part of our brains

(9:42) Humankind has colonized the future - WOW

(11:45) We must extend our moral circle so it includes future generations. We must extend our social circle not just across space, but through time - Roman Krznaric

(13:22) It never once occurred to me that we disenfranchise future generations in the same way that women and slaves have been  disenfranchised throughout history -Roman Krznaric

(16:00) The sense of wonder when thinking about future generations.

(17:03) Is knowledge of the future a contradiction by definition?

(18:15) Being a Good Ancestor means passing on a planet that is fit for all life. 

(18:50) Thinking Long-Term means falling in love, once again, with the ecosystems we inhabit.

(21:42) Creating an economy that stays within the boundaries of the living world.

(25:15) Where does long term thinking lie? in our brain? Our culture? Our institutions?

(29:20) Redesigning our political institutions for the long term?

(34:20) Does Democracy Reflect Long-Term Thinking?

(39:40) Having a relationship with Earth as a sacred place.

(41:10) How can we invite the regular individual to adopt a long-term thinking mindset? What habits, values, would we need to harvest?

(42:40) We are just a moment in the great cosmic story going back thirteen billion years -- the beginning of the universe - and at least five billion years forward to the death of the sun. And I think when you have that kind of sense of who are we in relation to time, that we are just tiny, that gives you what I call "deep time humility".  - Roman Krznaric.

(47:07) Viktor Frankl's 'Man's Search For Meaning' and its importance for our path into long-term thinking.

(50:20) How to prevent nihilism while thinking on deep time.

(53:45) How would you like to be remembered by your grandchildren, and their grandchildren?

(55:00) Thinking of my future kids, their future kids and being Good Ancestors; Applying the Golden Rule with future generations, and how being a good ancestor and living a good life are not mutually exclusive but rather excellent complements.

(58:30) The Long Now Foundation.

(1:00:30) The definition of freedom is always changing.

(1:03:20) Freedom vs. Responsibility.

(1:06:40) What effect does Roman think his book, The Good Ancestor, will have in the next 200 years?

--- Support Us ---

Thanks for tuning in for this edition of Through Conversations Podcast!

If you find this episode interesting, don't miss out on new conversations and subscribe to the podcast at any podcast feed you use, and leave me a review. Also, consider sharing it with someone you think can enjoy this episode.

--- Keep The Conversation Going ---

Instagram:@thruconvpodcast

Twitter: @ThruConvPodcast

Website: throughconversations.com

--- Credits ---

Our New, Awesome Music by Joe Lyle.  More info can be found at https://joelyledrums.com

Hosted, Produced by Alex Levy.