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Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs – An Antidote for Short-Termism
"An antidote to nearsightedness. Ari Wallach won't just leave you planning months or years ahead--he challenges you to look generations ahead. Get ready to think and think again." -- Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife
A paradigm-shifting manifesto for transforming our thinking from reactionary short-termism to the long-term, widening our scope beyond today, tomorrow, and to even five hundred years from now to reclaim meaning in our lives.
Many of the problems we face today, from climate change to work anxiety, are the result of short-term thinking. We are constantly bombarded by notifications and "Breaking News" that are overwhelming our central nervous systems, forcing us to react in the moment and ultimately disconnecting us from what truly matters. But there is a solution.
Futurist Ari Wallach offers a radical new way forward called "longpath," a mantra and mindset to help us focus on the long view. Drawing on history, theology, neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, and social technologies, Longpath teaches readers to strengthen their ability to look ahead, relieve reactions to stressful events, increase capacity for cooperation, and even boost creativity. Wallach challenges readers to ask themselves, "to what end?"--what is my ultimate goal and how does my choice align with my values? And even more provocatively, Wallach challenges readers to ask "to what end?" for civilization at large.
Whether it's work, marriage, parenting, or simply trying to be a good human on the planet, framing decisions from a much larger scale creates a more fulfilling and sustainable life now and for future generations.
A paradigm-shifting manifesto for transforming our thinking from reactionary short-termism to the long-term, widening our scope beyond today, tomorrow, and to even five hundred years from now to reclaim meaning in our lives.
Many of the problems we face today, from climate change to work anxiety, are the result of short-term thinking. We are constantly bombarded by notifications and "Breaking News" that are overwhelming our central nervous systems, forcing us to react in the moment and ultimately disconnecting us from what truly matters. But there is a solution.
Futurist Ari Wallach offers a radical new way forward called "longpath," a mantra and mindset to help us focus on the long view. Drawing on history, theology, neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, and social technologies, Longpath teaches readers to strengthen their ability to look ahead, relieve reactions to stressful events, increase capacity for cooperation, and even boost creativity. Wallach challenges readers to ask themselves, "to what end?"--what is my ultimate goal and how does my choice align with my values? And even more provocatively, Wallach challenges readers to ask "to what end?" for civilization at large.
Whether it's work, marriage, parenting, or simply trying to be a good human on the planet, framing decisions from a much larger scale creates a more fulfilling and sustainable life now and for future generations.
212 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 16, 2022
89 people are currently reading
1123 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
1-tbr-owned-but-not-yet-read
September 4, 2022Update So I bought the book, no longer 'might get' but 'owned but not yet read'. Now I'm committed to reading it!
__________
I like the idea of this book, of taking the long view, which is something I try and do. Things like global warming affect us now, but they've happened time and again in the past, but we weren't around then and might not be around the next time it happens. But the earth will still be here, spinning on its access, spewing out hot lava forming new lands, new volcanos, more and more carbon dioxide... What kind of put me off was the very precious,
__________
I like the idea of this book, of taking the long view, which is something I try and do. Things like global warming affect us now, but they've happened time and again in the past, but we weren't around then and might not be around the next time it happens. But the earth will still be here, spinning on its access, spewing out hot lava forming new lands, new volcanos, more and more carbon dioxide... What kind of put me off was the very precious,
A paradigm-shifting manifesto for transforming our thinking from reactionary short-termism to the long-term, widening our scope beyond today, tomorrow, and to even five hundred years from now to reclaim meaning in our lives.I hope it's a bit more straightforward and appealing than that quote.
April 22, 2022
From what I read about him online, Ari Wallach spends all his time thinking about what's next - and is highly sought after for his expertise in helping individuals, corporations, governments, and community leaders to make sense of the future. In this new book, Longpath, Ari offers us a new mindset and the two critically important tools embedded within that mindset that we can all use to determine how the future should unfold. The first are an understanding of our current historical moment - what he terms "The Intertidal"- which is an appreciation for the impact of various technological, political, and intellectual forces have had on our thinking and behavior over the past 400 years, and the knowledge that we are not alone in hoping that something better awaits us up ahead beyond this intertidal. He provides comfort and support to all of us seeking to negotiate this complex period of transition where we find ourselves, when everything we know and believe is being challenged. Second, he offers us a set of tools for understanding our present, and most importantly, conceiving our future. These tools will help us to ensure that the decisions we make today can't undermine our potential. They give us the strength, and confidence, to power ahead undaunted.
As you read Longpath, you quickly realize that hope is not a strategy, and that the future cannot, and will not, be decided by the actions of a few people. We all have to go about things differently. Ari admonishes us to find others and work collectively. He gives us permission to unlock the full power of our imagination (something I have written about and advocated) so that we envision a path - one that stretches far ahead - and stay on course. And through powerful stories, thought-provoking observations, and rich language, he gives us an invitation to do our part to pave the way to a better world. Read the book. Accept the invitation. And get to work.
As you read Longpath, you quickly realize that hope is not a strategy, and that the future cannot, and will not, be decided by the actions of a few people. We all have to go about things differently. Ari admonishes us to find others and work collectively. He gives us permission to unlock the full power of our imagination (something I have written about and advocated) so that we envision a path - one that stretches far ahead - and stay on course. And through powerful stories, thought-provoking observations, and rich language, he gives us an invitation to do our part to pave the way to a better world. Read the book. Accept the invitation. And get to work.
May 1, 2022
I wanted to reach out and let the bookiverse know my thoughts on the Longpath book by Ari Wallach. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who feels as if there can be "more" to our daily lives. Reflecting on Wallach's thoughts about "transgenerational empathy" I am reminded of some tools in the mindfulness movement. Mindfulness (among many other things) asks us to be present in our activities to the (rightful) detriment of anxious interpretations of the past and/or darker fictions of the future.
This book focuses very much on the present, but the present as a full embodiment of a temporal continuum. The workbook aspects of this book (not highlighted by the cover or back, but rather, found inside the chapters) also highlight this fact. The Longpath idea seems to be one that asks us to be mindful of ourselves (in our daily actions) as agents of change for the future. Like ripples in a pond, our actions flow forward into the future to have effects we can never imagine. And that is the draw of this way of thinking...the workbook sections of this book (as well as the foundational theory behind it in the balance of the writing) do not ask us to forecast what result our actions will have 50 years into the future...but just that "having an overlay" about those forward moving ripples will be of benefit to the world.
"Having an overlay" is an easy thing to conceptualize, and Wallach does an effective job at the theory behind why we should do this, and accessible workbook-like activities do help bring those thoughts into action. Recommended!
This book focuses very much on the present, but the present as a full embodiment of a temporal continuum. The workbook aspects of this book (not highlighted by the cover or back, but rather, found inside the chapters) also highlight this fact. The Longpath idea seems to be one that asks us to be mindful of ourselves (in our daily actions) as agents of change for the future. Like ripples in a pond, our actions flow forward into the future to have effects we can never imagine. And that is the draw of this way of thinking...the workbook sections of this book (as well as the foundational theory behind it in the balance of the writing) do not ask us to forecast what result our actions will have 50 years into the future...but just that "having an overlay" about those forward moving ripples will be of benefit to the world.
"Having an overlay" is an easy thing to conceptualize, and Wallach does an effective job at the theory behind why we should do this, and accessible workbook-like activities do help bring those thoughts into action. Recommended!
August 15, 2022
An essential book for a world in crisis. Ari Wallach's "Longpath" skillfully blends personal history, philosophy, neuroscience, and evolutionary psychology to make the persuasive case that humanity has reached a tipping point, and now is the moment to shift away from short-term thinking to instead place longterm, holistic decision-making at the heart of all our actions. It is only by adopting the roadmap that Wallach so skillfully articulates in his warm and engaging book that we can become the ancestors our future generations not only need, but deserve.
May 2, 2022
What the world needs now? This book! I nominate Ari Wallach as CFO (Chief Futures Officer) of the World.
Through interesting examples and a clear and understandable trajectory, Ari Wallach opens our minds to considering the myriad possibilities before us. And he suggests that, by foregoing short-term thinking and putting our efforts into the long-term, we can influence the tides of change in profound and positive ways.
In very readable form (I devoured the book in a day), the author lays out a path to the future that can be followed by individuals, industries, societies, and civilizations. The best thing is that it is a path that leads to HOPE!
Longpath is a thoughtful, well-researched, well-written book that everyone should read. It makes it clear that we can all “be the change we wish to see” and suggests clear ways in which we can achieve that.
Please, for the sake of future generations, read this book.
Through interesting examples and a clear and understandable trajectory, Ari Wallach opens our minds to considering the myriad possibilities before us. And he suggests that, by foregoing short-term thinking and putting our efforts into the long-term, we can influence the tides of change in profound and positive ways.
In very readable form (I devoured the book in a day), the author lays out a path to the future that can be followed by individuals, industries, societies, and civilizations. The best thing is that it is a path that leads to HOPE!
Longpath is a thoughtful, well-researched, well-written book that everyone should read. It makes it clear that we can all “be the change we wish to see” and suggests clear ways in which we can achieve that.
Please, for the sake of future generations, read this book.
November 16, 2022
Some really good stuff, and some really fluff stuff. Going to take away that we need intergenerational relationships and thinking about the future generations.
August 13, 2022
A rare combination of "how-to" framework backed by science and experience, heartwarming stories and elegant writing. Recommending this to all my friends who are trying to make sense of the current moment in human history as well as for those who are thinking about what is next in their life. It will change how you see the world
May 19, 2022
This is a genre I don't generally read, but am so glad that I did. This book has helped to shift my way of thinking. I have empathy for my ancestors and the decisions they made with the information they had. The author made me think about how my decisions will affect generations well into the future. I now contemplate how my ancestors will look back on the decisions I make and whether they will be proud or disappointed. I found the author's anecdotes impactful and relatable. The book overall was easy to read, taking a complicated subject matter and making it accessible to the general public.
May 20, 2022
A truly necessary read for our times. Ari Wallach weaves in wisdom literature, political pragmatism, and neuroscience to offer an important complement to works like The Scout Mindset by Julia Galef, See no Stranger by Valarie Kaur, and Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman. Wallach's contribution is more than analysis instead giving us a blueprint to act and work together on who we are so that we can bequeath a world for our descendants.
November 18, 2022
Not the insightful read I was hoping for.
March 30, 2024
Wow, this was a major disappointment; the narrative is bland, repetitive, derivative and downright boring at times; loved the idea but there are plenty alternative titles available on the subject.
December 9, 2022
Longpath (2022) is written to change the way you think about humankind. By teaching the lessons of the Longpath mentality, it shows how to break the bad habit of short-term thinking and embrace a mentality that helps connect humanity’s past, present, and future in order to make a better world.
ARI WALLACH is a futurist and the founder and Executive Director of Longpath Labs. As adjunct associate professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, he lectured on innovation, AI, and the futures of public policy. Wallach’s TED talk on Longpath has been viewed 2.5 million times and translated into 21 languages. He has written for outlets like the BBC and Wired, ran Fast Company magazine’s “FactCo Futures with Ari Wallach,” and has been featured in The New Times, Yahoo Finance, CNBC, CNN, Vox, and more. www.longpath.org
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Discover how to reshape your thinking to enrich your life and help generations to come.
When you hear the word “futurist,” the Iroquois Confederacy probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But these First Nations people were futurists in their own right, albeit more than half a millenia in the past.
The Iroquois were long-term thinkers. Their founding document implored them to consider the welfare of the entire community in each decision they made. It also urged them to think about the impact of their choices on the coming generations.
The author and academic, Ari Wallach, wants us to embrace what he calls the the “Longpath mentality.” This approach is quite similar to the thinking of the Iroquois. Reimagining our wisdom can help us build a better future now; one that replaces short-term thinking with a forward-looking vision of humanity.
The impact of our choices today will reverberate far into the future, from the environmental impact of our cars, to the way our parenting style will affect how our children interact with their children. To better consider these long-term consequences, we need to broaden and lengthen our perspective.
By embracing the Longpath mentality, we can enrich our own lives, and help make the world a more harmonious place. This book will cover why Longpath is well-suited to the present moment. It will also explain how we can alter our thinking to change the world, and how we can put those thoughts into practice.
---
Given our present challenges, humanity needs a new way to think about the world
Humanity is in the midst of an Intertidal – a term author Ari Wallach uses to represent a crucial period of monumental change.
And when we say crucial, we mean Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution-level crucial. The kind of seismic shifts that alter the world for centuries. So, if we are currently in the middle of an Intertidal, how did we get here?
Globalization is one reason. Climate change is another, as is the rapid pace of changes in technology. But it’s more than just these forces. It’s a marked shift in cultural attitudes, too. The way people have thought about the world for generations is shifting.
The influence of organized religion is waning, and there’s a contest to determine what might take its place. Foundational ideas of freedom, justice, and equality are being reconsidered through a 21st century lens.
This moment presents a unique opportunity to rewrite the rules of civilization. This may sound a bit jarring, but it doesn’t have to be.
It’s true, Intertidals are chaotic. But it’s precisely this chaos that creates a unique opportunity for lasting change. According to Nobel Laureate and complexity theorist Ilya Prigogine, systems often shift from periods of immense chaos to order and equilibrium. Whether this new equilibrium is better or worse than the present is up to us.
Some Intertidals represent a step backward, like the collapse of the Roman Empire that ushered in the bleakness of the Middle Ages. This is probably not something we want to repeat. Others, like the Scientific Revolution, have helped propel humanity forward.
So, how do we turn the chaos of today into a better world? We must reject short-termism, and instead embrace our capacity for empathy, cooperation, and looking ahead. We must understand that our choices today will have ripple effects for generations. We must accept our role in the broader story of humanity.
By adopting the Longpath mentality, we can lead happier lives. But Longpath isn’t simply about self-improvement. It’s also about building a better future for posterity.
If we reject toxic short-term thinking and prioritize the future, we can achieve both. Here’s how to build a future our descendants will thank us for.
---
Short-term thinking is counter-productive, and must be replaced by long-term considerations
Society is awash with short-term thinking. Part of this is natural, as humans have an instinctual desire to take advantage of immediate benefits in order to survive. This may have served hunter-gatherers well, but today, this instinct is often a hindrance.
This harmful kind of short-termism afflicts individuals, societies, and the systems around us. It’s what compels people to eat unhealthy foods, businesses to pollute the environment, and developers to build entire neighborhoods in flood-prone regions.
In many ways, technology has only made short-term thinking more pervasive. Consider the effect of social media on the way many adolescents behave. Kids have always had the desire to be liked and to fit in with their peers. Today, however, a young person’s social standing is usually measured in likes, clicks, and views.
Each thumbs up or thumbs down emoji floods the brain with chemicals, filling a person with momentary pleasure or anguish. Chasing this kind of instant feedback is no way to develop the habits that make someone a productive, empathetic member of society.
Luckily, there is a three step method we all can use to recognize and disrupt this and other kinds of short-term thinking.
First, pay attention to how the bad habit of short-term thinking makes you feel. Consider how your actions affect your mood and the impact they have on others. For example, if that tweet you just sent isn’t going to be of use to anyone in a week, a month, or a year, then it probably wasn’t necessary.
Second, believe you can do better. New research has shown that the brain is more changeable than previously thought. This neuroplasticity means that simply changing our mentality about something can put us on the path to positive change. For example, if we think that we can become a better student, parent, or partner, this makes it more likely that we actually will.
Third, cultivate your Longpath mentality. Developing feelings of gratitude, awe, and empathy are especially important. These emotions allow us to better connect with others, including our ancestors and posterity. So, take a moment to marvel at a classic work of art, or consider the sacrifices your grandparents must have made for their descendants.
Exercises like these foster an appreciation for others. Doing so helps us ward off short-term thinking and allows us to focus on making decisions that have a lasting positive impact.
---
To build a better world, we need to cultivate transgenerational empathy
In the previous section, we explained the Longpath mentality. Now, we’re going to explain the role of empathy in our new way of thinking.
To achieve the Longpath mentality, transgenerational empathy is key. This simply means recognizing the connections between humanity’s past, present, and future, and caring about how our actions today will help reshape the world. When we practice this kind of empathy, it becomes easier to shift from short-termism to long-term objectives.
How can we practice this mentality? First, we must have empathy for our ancestors. This means acknowledging that the past has helped shape who we are today. It also requires grappling with the uglier parts of human history in order to learn and grow.
Consider South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Rather than hiding from the horrors of racial apartheid, South Africa confronted them. The commission allowed survivors to tell their stories, and enabled the guilty parties to accept responsibility, seek forgiveness, and move forward. This example illustrates how honesty and compassion can join forces to lead to healing.
The second ingredient is self-compassion. This means understanding that we are imperfect. It also requires understanding that we have the capacity to do better. Instead of becoming defensive when we mess up, we can own up to our mistakes and learn from them.
To complete transgenerational empathy, we also need to consider generations to come. We impact the future, even the distant future, through our legacies. When we consider posterity in our present choices, we can leave a positive legacy for our descendants.
It’s important to understand that this kind of empathy can happen at levels large and small. Some countries, like Sweden, have a Ministry of the Future. Some companies like Amazon leave an empty chair at board meetings as a symbol of posterity. Some families reserve a spot at the dinner table for the next generation. All these gestures represent a vital regard for the future, and the people who will inhabit it.
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The “official future” is flawed – we must embrace intentional and inclusive thinking to forge a better future
Empathy for the next generation helps us care about what happens in the future. But how do we need to think about the future in order to make it better?
Every culture is bombarded with ideas of what the future is supposed to look like. Art, literature, and politics all indicate which way the world is supposedly headed. Scholars refer to these narratives as the “official future.”
But the truth is, society can’t be pigeonholed into one official future. We have to instead understand that many possible paths lie ahead of us. We can choose where we’re headed, not have the future of civilization foisted upon us.
Once we establish our power to shape the future, we have to be intentional in our thinking. It isn’t enough to say what we don’t want, like the dystopias in works of science fiction. We have to think creatively enough to envision the world that we do want. These potential worlds are called the examined, desired futures.
In addition to intentionality, we also need inclusive thinking. We need to imagine a world where all people have the opportunity to flourish, where success is measured by more than material welfare, and where the interests of generations to come are considered, too.
To better understand what this kind of thinking means in practice, let’s consider the village of Hogewey, near Amsterdam. On the surface, Hogewey resembles any other village. There are houses, shops, restaurants, and public parks. Seems pretty ordinary, right?
What makes Hogewey extraordinary is that it’s a community for people with Alzheimers’ disease. Rather than putting patients in glorified hospitals, the staff and volunteers at Hogewey allow its residents to maintain normality in their lives, despite their condition.
Hogewey defied the official future that said Alzheimers’ patients must be confined to nursing homes. Its founder, Yvonne van Amerongen, chose to think intentionally and inclusively about a place where residents’ dignity was a top priority. This is what an examined, desired future looks like in practice.
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To change the world for our descendants, we need to cooperate with one another today
Adopting the Longpath mentality on our own is great. In order to reshape the future for generations, though, we need to work together now.
To scale up the Longpath mentality above the individual level, we have to affect our unique spheres of influence. This includes influencing our families, friends, and colleagues.
Here are four strategies for Longpath cooperation: vision, conversation, facilitation, and ways of being. Let’s discuss each in turn.
Having a novel vision of the future can help shake up the status quo. As far-fetched as your vision may seem, it might inspire someone to make it a reality. You know that iPhone in everyone’s pocket? According to Steve Jobs, it was inspired, in part, by the futuristic video-calling technology of Star Trek and The Jetsons.
If you’re not exactly the visionary type, simply starting a conversation can work, too. Whether it’s around the dinner table, the conference room, or anywhere else, don’t be afraid to discuss how to make the world a better place. Just make sure to speak and listen with empathy.
If you can, you might even consider facilitating a forum for exchanging ideas. This might seem daunting, but it’s possible. In 2008, Aruba brought together 50,000 residents to discuss the future and develop a national strategy for sustainability. You might develop a program on a smaller scale in your own community.
We can also foster connection and cooperation through our small, day-to-day actions. These subtle ways of being can cause chain reactions that have big impacts. So, try to be polite and gracious to others. Make eye contact when you speak to someone. Strike up a friendly conversation with your neighbor. Do things to give people the sense that we’re in this together – because we are.
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The decisions we make today, both individually and collectively, are going to shape humanity’s future. In order to build a better world, we must reject short-termism and embrace a new way of thinking, known as Longpath. This new mentality will be oriented toward long-term human flourishing. To achieve this, we must become more empathetic. Toward our ancestors, toward posterity, and even toward our own shortcomings. We must also be creative and inclusive in the way we address some of the world’s most pressing problems like hunger, disease, and climate change. If we work together, we can design a future that will make the coming generations proud.
ARI WALLACH is a futurist and the founder and Executive Director of Longpath Labs. As adjunct associate professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, he lectured on innovation, AI, and the futures of public policy. Wallach’s TED talk on Longpath has been viewed 2.5 million times and translated into 21 languages. He has written for outlets like the BBC and Wired, ran Fast Company magazine’s “FactCo Futures with Ari Wallach,” and has been featured in The New Times, Yahoo Finance, CNBC, CNN, Vox, and more. www.longpath.org
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Discover how to reshape your thinking to enrich your life and help generations to come.
When you hear the word “futurist,” the Iroquois Confederacy probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But these First Nations people were futurists in their own right, albeit more than half a millenia in the past.
The Iroquois were long-term thinkers. Their founding document implored them to consider the welfare of the entire community in each decision they made. It also urged them to think about the impact of their choices on the coming generations.
The author and academic, Ari Wallach, wants us to embrace what he calls the the “Longpath mentality.” This approach is quite similar to the thinking of the Iroquois. Reimagining our wisdom can help us build a better future now; one that replaces short-term thinking with a forward-looking vision of humanity.
The impact of our choices today will reverberate far into the future, from the environmental impact of our cars, to the way our parenting style will affect how our children interact with their children. To better consider these long-term consequences, we need to broaden and lengthen our perspective.
By embracing the Longpath mentality, we can enrich our own lives, and help make the world a more harmonious place. This book will cover why Longpath is well-suited to the present moment. It will also explain how we can alter our thinking to change the world, and how we can put those thoughts into practice.
---
Given our present challenges, humanity needs a new way to think about the world
Humanity is in the midst of an Intertidal – a term author Ari Wallach uses to represent a crucial period of monumental change.
And when we say crucial, we mean Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution-level crucial. The kind of seismic shifts that alter the world for centuries. So, if we are currently in the middle of an Intertidal, how did we get here?
Globalization is one reason. Climate change is another, as is the rapid pace of changes in technology. But it’s more than just these forces. It’s a marked shift in cultural attitudes, too. The way people have thought about the world for generations is shifting.
The influence of organized religion is waning, and there’s a contest to determine what might take its place. Foundational ideas of freedom, justice, and equality are being reconsidered through a 21st century lens.
This moment presents a unique opportunity to rewrite the rules of civilization. This may sound a bit jarring, but it doesn’t have to be.
It’s true, Intertidals are chaotic. But it’s precisely this chaos that creates a unique opportunity for lasting change. According to Nobel Laureate and complexity theorist Ilya Prigogine, systems often shift from periods of immense chaos to order and equilibrium. Whether this new equilibrium is better or worse than the present is up to us.
Some Intertidals represent a step backward, like the collapse of the Roman Empire that ushered in the bleakness of the Middle Ages. This is probably not something we want to repeat. Others, like the Scientific Revolution, have helped propel humanity forward.
So, how do we turn the chaos of today into a better world? We must reject short-termism, and instead embrace our capacity for empathy, cooperation, and looking ahead. We must understand that our choices today will have ripple effects for generations. We must accept our role in the broader story of humanity.
By adopting the Longpath mentality, we can lead happier lives. But Longpath isn’t simply about self-improvement. It’s also about building a better future for posterity.
If we reject toxic short-term thinking and prioritize the future, we can achieve both. Here’s how to build a future our descendants will thank us for.
---
Short-term thinking is counter-productive, and must be replaced by long-term considerations
Society is awash with short-term thinking. Part of this is natural, as humans have an instinctual desire to take advantage of immediate benefits in order to survive. This may have served hunter-gatherers well, but today, this instinct is often a hindrance.
This harmful kind of short-termism afflicts individuals, societies, and the systems around us. It’s what compels people to eat unhealthy foods, businesses to pollute the environment, and developers to build entire neighborhoods in flood-prone regions.
In many ways, technology has only made short-term thinking more pervasive. Consider the effect of social media on the way many adolescents behave. Kids have always had the desire to be liked and to fit in with their peers. Today, however, a young person’s social standing is usually measured in likes, clicks, and views.
Each thumbs up or thumbs down emoji floods the brain with chemicals, filling a person with momentary pleasure or anguish. Chasing this kind of instant feedback is no way to develop the habits that make someone a productive, empathetic member of society.
Luckily, there is a three step method we all can use to recognize and disrupt this and other kinds of short-term thinking.
First, pay attention to how the bad habit of short-term thinking makes you feel. Consider how your actions affect your mood and the impact they have on others. For example, if that tweet you just sent isn’t going to be of use to anyone in a week, a month, or a year, then it probably wasn’t necessary.
Second, believe you can do better. New research has shown that the brain is more changeable than previously thought. This neuroplasticity means that simply changing our mentality about something can put us on the path to positive change. For example, if we think that we can become a better student, parent, or partner, this makes it more likely that we actually will.
Third, cultivate your Longpath mentality. Developing feelings of gratitude, awe, and empathy are especially important. These emotions allow us to better connect with others, including our ancestors and posterity. So, take a moment to marvel at a classic work of art, or consider the sacrifices your grandparents must have made for their descendants.
Exercises like these foster an appreciation for others. Doing so helps us ward off short-term thinking and allows us to focus on making decisions that have a lasting positive impact.
---
To build a better world, we need to cultivate transgenerational empathy
In the previous section, we explained the Longpath mentality. Now, we’re going to explain the role of empathy in our new way of thinking.
To achieve the Longpath mentality, transgenerational empathy is key. This simply means recognizing the connections between humanity’s past, present, and future, and caring about how our actions today will help reshape the world. When we practice this kind of empathy, it becomes easier to shift from short-termism to long-term objectives.
How can we practice this mentality? First, we must have empathy for our ancestors. This means acknowledging that the past has helped shape who we are today. It also requires grappling with the uglier parts of human history in order to learn and grow.
Consider South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Rather than hiding from the horrors of racial apartheid, South Africa confronted them. The commission allowed survivors to tell their stories, and enabled the guilty parties to accept responsibility, seek forgiveness, and move forward. This example illustrates how honesty and compassion can join forces to lead to healing.
The second ingredient is self-compassion. This means understanding that we are imperfect. It also requires understanding that we have the capacity to do better. Instead of becoming defensive when we mess up, we can own up to our mistakes and learn from them.
To complete transgenerational empathy, we also need to consider generations to come. We impact the future, even the distant future, through our legacies. When we consider posterity in our present choices, we can leave a positive legacy for our descendants.
It’s important to understand that this kind of empathy can happen at levels large and small. Some countries, like Sweden, have a Ministry of the Future. Some companies like Amazon leave an empty chair at board meetings as a symbol of posterity. Some families reserve a spot at the dinner table for the next generation. All these gestures represent a vital regard for the future, and the people who will inhabit it.
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The “official future” is flawed – we must embrace intentional and inclusive thinking to forge a better future
Empathy for the next generation helps us care about what happens in the future. But how do we need to think about the future in order to make it better?
Every culture is bombarded with ideas of what the future is supposed to look like. Art, literature, and politics all indicate which way the world is supposedly headed. Scholars refer to these narratives as the “official future.”
But the truth is, society can’t be pigeonholed into one official future. We have to instead understand that many possible paths lie ahead of us. We can choose where we’re headed, not have the future of civilization foisted upon us.
Once we establish our power to shape the future, we have to be intentional in our thinking. It isn’t enough to say what we don’t want, like the dystopias in works of science fiction. We have to think creatively enough to envision the world that we do want. These potential worlds are called the examined, desired futures.
In addition to intentionality, we also need inclusive thinking. We need to imagine a world where all people have the opportunity to flourish, where success is measured by more than material welfare, and where the interests of generations to come are considered, too.
To better understand what this kind of thinking means in practice, let’s consider the village of Hogewey, near Amsterdam. On the surface, Hogewey resembles any other village. There are houses, shops, restaurants, and public parks. Seems pretty ordinary, right?
What makes Hogewey extraordinary is that it’s a community for people with Alzheimers’ disease. Rather than putting patients in glorified hospitals, the staff and volunteers at Hogewey allow its residents to maintain normality in their lives, despite their condition.
Hogewey defied the official future that said Alzheimers’ patients must be confined to nursing homes. Its founder, Yvonne van Amerongen, chose to think intentionally and inclusively about a place where residents’ dignity was a top priority. This is what an examined, desired future looks like in practice.
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To change the world for our descendants, we need to cooperate with one another today
Adopting the Longpath mentality on our own is great. In order to reshape the future for generations, though, we need to work together now.
To scale up the Longpath mentality above the individual level, we have to affect our unique spheres of influence. This includes influencing our families, friends, and colleagues.
Here are four strategies for Longpath cooperation: vision, conversation, facilitation, and ways of being. Let’s discuss each in turn.
Having a novel vision of the future can help shake up the status quo. As far-fetched as your vision may seem, it might inspire someone to make it a reality. You know that iPhone in everyone’s pocket? According to Steve Jobs, it was inspired, in part, by the futuristic video-calling technology of Star Trek and The Jetsons.
If you’re not exactly the visionary type, simply starting a conversation can work, too. Whether it’s around the dinner table, the conference room, or anywhere else, don’t be afraid to discuss how to make the world a better place. Just make sure to speak and listen with empathy.
If you can, you might even consider facilitating a forum for exchanging ideas. This might seem daunting, but it’s possible. In 2008, Aruba brought together 50,000 residents to discuss the future and develop a national strategy for sustainability. You might develop a program on a smaller scale in your own community.
We can also foster connection and cooperation through our small, day-to-day actions. These subtle ways of being can cause chain reactions that have big impacts. So, try to be polite and gracious to others. Make eye contact when you speak to someone. Strike up a friendly conversation with your neighbor. Do things to give people the sense that we’re in this together – because we are.
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The decisions we make today, both individually and collectively, are going to shape humanity’s future. In order to build a better world, we must reject short-termism and embrace a new way of thinking, known as Longpath. This new mentality will be oriented toward long-term human flourishing. To achieve this, we must become more empathetic. Toward our ancestors, toward posterity, and even toward our own shortcomings. We must also be creative and inclusive in the way we address some of the world’s most pressing problems like hunger, disease, and climate change. If we work together, we can design a future that will make the coming generations proud.
October 20, 2022
HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book. I'd love for everyone on the planet to read it. This is the kind of thinking that will change our futures for the better.
August 4, 2022
An incredibly important book from one of the world's leading minds - challenges us all to zoom out and focus on what we can all do within our own lifetimes to create the sort of world where our grandchildren's grandchildren will flourish. 5 stars!
January 25, 2022
Ari Wallach's "Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs - An Antidote for Short-Termism" expands upon Wallach's life work as a futurist helping leaders more consciously and ethically shape tomorrow. Wallach's TED Talk on Longpath has been viewed over 2.5 million times and translated into 19 different languages.
Now, Wallach serves as Executive Director of Longpath Labs, an initiative focused on bringing long-term thinking and coordinated behavior to the individual, organizational, and societal realms in order to ensure humanity flourishes on an ecologically thriving planet Earth for centuries to come.
The book "Longpath" essentially explores this initiative and puts into print the concepts that serve as a foundation for Longpath and a world where we move away from reactionary short-termism and instead move toward long-term living and leading and, as the title notes, "becoming the great ancestors our future needs."
Wallach asserts that many of the problems we face today, from climate change to work anxiety, are the result of short-term thinking. Wallach also asserts and passionately writes that Longpath is the solution.
If you've ever worked in large systems, you'll likely recognize the world that Wallach writes about. As a project director for a government agency, I see every day how so much of how we lead, fund, and support our social systems is reactionary in nature and geared toward short-term solutions destined to have only a short-term impact. We've become a society of sound byte social systems and Wallach's Longpath aims to create a different way aiming toward the longer path.
As a book, "Longpath" is surprisingly straightforward and understandable. Weaving together information with inspiration, Wallach projects the value of a world where we stop simply reacting and we move toward creating the world that we want future generations to live in.
Truthfully, there's nothing particularly "new" about this information. It's simply that we've moved so far away from it that it feels almost revolutionary.
"Longpath" is both intellectually satisfying and emotionally resonant, Wallach's stories about his father adding emotional depth to these concepts and strategies. Wallach himself is an engaging writer and "Longpath" offers him a chance to expand upon the materials in his TED Talk and to bring to life these ideas that have become his life work.
For those seeking a different way of leading, organizing, and living, "Longpath" is a valuable and vital tool for the individual and organizational toolbox.
Now, Wallach serves as Executive Director of Longpath Labs, an initiative focused on bringing long-term thinking and coordinated behavior to the individual, organizational, and societal realms in order to ensure humanity flourishes on an ecologically thriving planet Earth for centuries to come.
The book "Longpath" essentially explores this initiative and puts into print the concepts that serve as a foundation for Longpath and a world where we move away from reactionary short-termism and instead move toward long-term living and leading and, as the title notes, "becoming the great ancestors our future needs."
Wallach asserts that many of the problems we face today, from climate change to work anxiety, are the result of short-term thinking. Wallach also asserts and passionately writes that Longpath is the solution.
If you've ever worked in large systems, you'll likely recognize the world that Wallach writes about. As a project director for a government agency, I see every day how so much of how we lead, fund, and support our social systems is reactionary in nature and geared toward short-term solutions destined to have only a short-term impact. We've become a society of sound byte social systems and Wallach's Longpath aims to create a different way aiming toward the longer path.
As a book, "Longpath" is surprisingly straightforward and understandable. Weaving together information with inspiration, Wallach projects the value of a world where we stop simply reacting and we move toward creating the world that we want future generations to live in.
Truthfully, there's nothing particularly "new" about this information. It's simply that we've moved so far away from it that it feels almost revolutionary.
"Longpath" is both intellectually satisfying and emotionally resonant, Wallach's stories about his father adding emotional depth to these concepts and strategies. Wallach himself is an engaging writer and "Longpath" offers him a chance to expand upon the materials in his TED Talk and to bring to life these ideas that have become his life work.
For those seeking a different way of leading, organizing, and living, "Longpath" is a valuable and vital tool for the individual and organizational toolbox.
August 16, 2022
Thirty years ago, in his groundbreaking book ISHMAEL, Daniel Quinn opined that “…people need more than to be scolded, more than to be made to feel stupid and guilty. They need more than a vision of doom. They need a vision of the world and of themselves that inspires them.” With LONGPATH, futurist Ari Wallach offers us just such an inspired vision. Wallach is a worthy heir to Quinn, and many others whose work will resonate with readers; Thomas Merton’s soulful kindness, Ken Wilbur’s philosophical pragmatism, David Sedaris’ self-deprecating humor, Yuval Harari’s sweeping contextualization (balanced with Joseph Campbell’s diligent scholarship), Barack Obama’s hopeful audacity…there are echoes of all of these in LONGPATH, and from this chorus arises Wallach’s distinct and gentle voice, offering us a sane and practical antidote to what he accurately labels “short-termism.”
Research shows, time and again, that people are best motivated to make positive behavioral changes when they’re first warned about something (like, say, climate change) and are then presented with a positive vision of what the future could look like if we were to actually take appropriate actions. That second part is crucial. Without it, people tend to shut down. They feel hopeless and lost. We’ve been warned, and what we’re living with now is a vision of doom — but what we need to start working on is a new mythology of the future. A future where our very purpose is to make civilization work so that it contributes to the flourishing of all life. It’s a future that we don’t seem to have a very clear vision of at the moment, but we can change that — and Ari Wallach is and will continue to be a vital contributor to that ongoing, absolutely critical dialogue.
Research shows, time and again, that people are best motivated to make positive behavioral changes when they’re first warned about something (like, say, climate change) and are then presented with a positive vision of what the future could look like if we were to actually take appropriate actions. That second part is crucial. Without it, people tend to shut down. They feel hopeless and lost. We’ve been warned, and what we’re living with now is a vision of doom — but what we need to start working on is a new mythology of the future. A future where our very purpose is to make civilization work so that it contributes to the flourishing of all life. It’s a future that we don’t seem to have a very clear vision of at the moment, but we can change that — and Ari Wallach is and will continue to be a vital contributor to that ongoing, absolutely critical dialogue.
March 28, 2022
In the book “10-10-10” by Suzy Welch, the author suggests that a good way to consider the possible impacts of a decision are to think of the impacts in 10 minutes, 10 weeks, and 10 years. By doing this, you consider the results of your action from different perspectives. “Longpath” is the same kind of book, recommending the consideration of impacts of your actions and decisions in three different time perspectives. Here, the author choses the immediate past, the individual present, and the long term future. The past timeframe is more of a reflection on the impact to others. The present is defined as the impact on the self, and the long term uses the term ancestry, so you are really thinking long term. I found this long-term thinking to be somewhat ill defined for purpose. When you think long term, you need to understand the many possible directions that the world could go in. I expected the author would talk about scenarios, or discuss that the farther out one goes, the more the imagined future could be anything. No, instead the author suggested leaning on virtues, personal and societal, to make decisions. And there was a disregard for those unintended consequences that could outweigh the virtuous good in a decision. And strangely, when the author mentions an effort to involve all citizens of a Caribbean country in a kind of group study of possible futures, apropos to the ideas in this book, he drops the subject with just the mention. I liked the idea of thinking through decisions based on lenses of differing time horizons, but by placing one so far in the future, the message seems diminished.
August 28, 2024
For someone who claims the goal of his ideology is to get people to stop thinking in terms of their own single life span, Wallach sure does talk A LOT about what he has accomplished in his. I found that his use of anecdotes about such things as going on a beachfront vacation during the summer of 2020 because his family “just had to get away” (from the effects of a GLOBAL PANDEMIC that the vast majority of us poors were stuck, you know, being in it) and “consult[ing] with an everyone-is-talking-about-him TV director” to be in very poor taste juxtaposed against the noble ideals he claims to espouse regarding becoming good ancestors by cultivating an ability to tackle long-term issues like climate change and rising income disparity.
I get what he was going for here and he probably thought that by name dropping such clients as Facebook and the United Nations he would be enshrining himself in the kind of legitimacy such a lofty ideology surely requires to gain traction, but the whole thing smacked of privilege and was not relatable. You can’t expect me to take you seriously lecturing about how to think about food insecurity and then tell a two page story about a Trader Joe’s “marathon trip” you took with your wife where you filled up two whole carts with food and argued about how to get it all inside your house (actual story in the book).
My favorite line was “this is the book I was born to write;” I only wish he knew how to!
I get what he was going for here and he probably thought that by name dropping such clients as Facebook and the United Nations he would be enshrining himself in the kind of legitimacy such a lofty ideology surely requires to gain traction, but the whole thing smacked of privilege and was not relatable. You can’t expect me to take you seriously lecturing about how to think about food insecurity and then tell a two page story about a Trader Joe’s “marathon trip” you took with your wife where you filled up two whole carts with food and argued about how to get it all inside your house (actual story in the book).
My favorite line was “this is the book I was born to write;” I only wish he knew how to!
October 21, 2024
Я маю гіпотезу, що потенціал багатьох людей, яких я зустрів у житті розбився, як Титанік об айсберг саме завдяки фокусу на короткострокових задоволеннях чи прагненнях виглядати крутим у соціумі.
Короткострокове мислення веде нас в апокаліпсис. Третій рік повномасштабного вторгнення в Україну показує, що авторитарна коаліція країн, яким в сраку не здалися глобальні проблеми людства веде світ у третю світу війну і загрожує ядеркою. Чуваки, про який Longpath взагалі йдеться?
Теперішнє це наслідки діяльності або бездіяльності у минулому. Звісно автор не згадує авторитарні країни та війну. Водночас він, дає поживу для роздумів про Longpath на індивідуальному рівні. Думати про вплив своєї поведінки на своїх дітей, їхніх дітей, на дітей їхніх дітей. Ну ви зрозуміли.
4 зірочки, бо згадано чимало чудових проєктів та людей, які викликали подив: https://deathoverdinner.org, https://buynothingproject.org, Martin Selingman, гарно написано, легко читається
Короткострокове мислення веде нас в апокаліпсис. Третій рік повномасштабного вторгнення в Україну показує, що авторитарна коаліція країн, яким в сраку не здалися глобальні проблеми людства веде світ у третю світу війну і загрожує ядеркою. Чуваки, про який Longpath взагалі йдеться?
Теперішнє це наслідки діяльності або бездіяльності у минулому. Звісно автор не згадує авторитарні країни та війну. Водночас він, дає поживу для роздумів про Longpath на індивідуальному рівні. Думати про вплив своєї поведінки на своїх дітей, їхніх дітей, на дітей їхніх дітей. Ну ви зрозуміли.
4 зірочки, бо згадано чимало чудових проєктів та людей, які викликали подив: https://deathoverdinner.org, https://buynothingproject.org, Martin Selingman, гарно написано, легко читається
August 14, 2022
Ari Wallach takes the long view of life, the world, and possibility. Extending the too-common emphasis on the right here and right now, Wallach takes us on a journey in his book LONGPATH for what is possible if you take the really long view, asking "to what end" as you contemplate personal, community, and world-wide change. I felt my own timelines for expectations for myself and my work to stretch and expand as I read the book, such that the urgent and nagging fell away when I turned a long perspective upon them. I've lived the horrific pressure of delivering quarterly sales and profits, even to the point of the weekly numbers over which we had very little control, so this book was a welcome relief and a joy to contemplate and put into effect. I received an early copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.
November 21, 2022
Blinks:
How can we alter our thinking from short-term-ism to long-term ism.
1. Given our present challenges, humanity needs a new way to think about the world. Organized religion is fading so what fills its place. How do we turn the chaos of today into a prosperous future.
2. Short-term thinking is counter-productive, and must be replaced by long-term considerations. Simply changing our mentality will help us achieve our goals.
3. To build a better world, we need to cultivate trans-generational empathy. We must have empathy for our ancestors. We need to have self compassion and learn from our mistakes.
4. The "official future" is flawed - we must embrace intentional and inclusive thinking to forge a better future.
5. To change the world for our descendants, we need to cooperate with one another today
How can we alter our thinking from short-term-ism to long-term ism.
1. Given our present challenges, humanity needs a new way to think about the world. Organized religion is fading so what fills its place. How do we turn the chaos of today into a prosperous future.
2. Short-term thinking is counter-productive, and must be replaced by long-term considerations. Simply changing our mentality will help us achieve our goals.
3. To build a better world, we need to cultivate trans-generational empathy. We must have empathy for our ancestors. We need to have self compassion and learn from our mistakes.
4. The "official future" is flawed - we must embrace intentional and inclusive thinking to forge a better future.
5. To change the world for our descendants, we need to cooperate with one another today
February 5, 2023
The theme of this book is one that is rather different especially nowadays. It is about taking the long look at your life, the world around you, and the information you get from various sources in that world.
The author draws on aspects of history, theology, neuroscience, psychology, sociology, and various other resources to teach people how to look ahead and plan for the future. This allows the practitioner to relieve stressful events, allow them to cooperate better with others, boost their creativity and many other things.
It doesn't really matter what aspect of life you are thinking about at the present time long path is likely relevant as it allows you to make decisions that will help you in the future, By enriching your life and hopefully making your descendants proud of how you handled your life.
And extremely interesting, and thought-provoking read.
The author draws on aspects of history, theology, neuroscience, psychology, sociology, and various other resources to teach people how to look ahead and plan for the future. This allows the practitioner to relieve stressful events, allow them to cooperate better with others, boost their creativity and many other things.
It doesn't really matter what aspect of life you are thinking about at the present time long path is likely relevant as it allows you to make decisions that will help you in the future, By enriching your life and hopefully making your descendants proud of how you handled your life.
And extremely interesting, and thought-provoking read.
August 16, 2022
A welcome alternative to the cottage industry of anxiety-inducing dystopian fiction and popular science books that list all the ways our future is going wrong, Ari Wallach’s LONGPATH charts a course toward utopia that is both engaging and within our grasp. By citing clear and relatable anecdotes as well as offering a series of introspective exercises and empathetic thought experiments, Wallach ingeniously reframes the idea of “the Future” as a way of being rather than a far-off destination. Less of a presaging of what tomorrow will be, the best way to think of LONGPATH is as a guidebook to achieving the tomorrow we want. Highly recommended.
May 21, 2024
Having watched the PBS series by the author -- A Brief History of the Future, I think that the book packages the same ideas, but the series is better because he more frequently illustrates the ideas with real world examples in the places and people he interviews. There's some of that in the book, too, but not as effective. The one thing I was hoping for was more prescriptive advice, but then again, it's not really about telling us how to implement our own longpath approach, more just encouraging us to do it. Worth the read, but you can get almost as much from the series and/or the TED talks.
April 18, 2025
A refreshing approach to the “be present” perspective. The present moment may be “all we have” but if we take the time to look back as well as look forward and we do so with empathy for those before us and those yet to come - we will find ourselves making decisions that benefit ourselves as well as our descendants (and would make our ancestors proud too).
The quote about the industrialist and the fisherman struck a deep chord in this new age of “hustle culture”. I wonder if the industrialist tweaked his motives for that of the people and futures peoples rather than himself the fisherman may be inspired to fish for those boats…
Brain dump over.
The quote about the industrialist and the fisherman struck a deep chord in this new age of “hustle culture”. I wonder if the industrialist tweaked his motives for that of the people and futures peoples rather than himself the fisherman may be inspired to fish for those boats…
Brain dump over.
August 16, 2022
I found Longpath to be a trenchant guide to thinking and acting in a way that not only helps future generations but the current one as well! Yes, you can have it both ways by learning about the longpath mindset, implementing it and living it. Since I completed this book I have seen things through a very different lens; less as a person going about my life and more as a great ancestor in the making. This is an important book. Read it. Pass it along to friends and family. Your ancestors will thank you.
November 3, 2022
A short powerful read to look at the long path of how you live for yourself, your family and community. About 20% in to the book I was hooked. The author gives excellent examples of why we do what we do when. And how we can be more mindful of being fully present and intentional with our actions and being, in order to look out for the long view, not just the quick fix. Inherited family history is examined and methods to change the future course as well.
November 26, 2024
Picked this one up on a whim from my library. Reads like a Ted Talk, quite enjoyable.
In personal decisions, one needs to plan for ones' future self, children, and grandchildren etc.
In community decisions, it very much encompasses the Seventh Generation Principle of the Iroquois (Haundenosaunee) decision making principles that leaders shouldn't make decisions without considering seven generations into the future.
In personal decisions, one needs to plan for ones' future self, children, and grandchildren etc.
In community decisions, it very much encompasses the Seventh Generation Principle of the Iroquois (Haundenosaunee) decision making principles that leaders shouldn't make decisions without considering seven generations into the future.
February 24, 2022
This is a strong, timely book. There are many times throughout reading it that I felt called to action in really subtle, yet moving, ways. If a person is looking for broad behaviors to feel active in their ,”longpath,” view I feel this book is a wonderful path to start that process. Great book. I will reference and recommend to fellow readers!
March 16, 2022
This is a quick read and a mostly good one. There are some good thoughts and perspectives, along with a few graphics to illustrate some points and help make the material more memorable. I don't think this will drive a lot of action, but it's still a worthwhile read.
Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!
Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!
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