Short Term Thinking Quotes

“To achieve alignment by stakeholders across time horizons, long-term thinking needs to prevail in a world of endemic short-termism.”
― Roger Spitz, The Definitive Guide to Thriving on Disruption: Volume II - Essential Frameworks for Disruption and Uncertainty

“We are more fascinated today by statistical predictions of what the country will be thinking in a few weeks’ time than by visionary predictions of what the country will look like in 10 or 20 years from now.”
― Peter Thiel, Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future

“Never compromise the things that’ll matter most to you one day because you feel the urge to satisfy yourself today.”
― Frank Sonnenberg, The Path to a Meaningful Life

“Because we’re disconnected from our Future Selves, we opt for near immediate goals or dopamine hits. This short-term seeking ends up costing our Future Selves big.

[Example of this, from comedian Jerry Seinfeld]
Late at night, I think, “Well, it’s night, I’m having a good time, I don’t want to go to sleep. I’m Night Guy. Getting up after five hours’ sleep? That’s Morning Guy’s problem. Let him worry about that. I’m Night Guy, I’ve got to party.”
Then you get up after five hours of sleep, you’re cranky, you’re exhausted.
Night Guy always screws Morning Guy.”
― Benjamin P. Hardy, Be Your Future Self Now: The Science of Intentional Transformation