The Future

The future is a difficult subject to think about, as it requires various actions in the present to get to the future you want the most. I myself view the future in separate categories so I don’t get overwhelmed; I divide it up into near future (like next week), moderate future (a couple months to a couple years), far future (life goals), and imagined future (like when we will get real hover boards). I don’t necessarily call them this or categorize all my goals by this, but these are the different categories I think about when contemplating about the future.

            Thinking about the near future is the easiest, as it just involved thinking about what projects are coming up, and what I want for dinner. It’s probably one of the most self-satisfying as well, as I can get gratification from these short goals quickly.

            Moderate future is probably the most difficult, as thinking about all the short term efforts needed to reach a longer term goal can be incredibly stressful. The rewards seem too far-off to matter or seem gratifying. The goals are close enough to require action, but are far enough that they seem out of reach.

            The far future is something that I don’t think of much. Life-goals and visions for overall success just seem like something not worth the time to contemplate. They are so far off that it is hard to think of any actions that can lead to them. The path to the far-off future seems like something that will emerge over time, with new roads opening up as you go. It’s not something you can actively plan for, but rather something find as you go and grow along the way.

            Imagining the overall future and the future world itself is a much different topic. When I think of the word “future”, I usually take it more as to what MY future will be like, as I can account for my plans and actions, but the world overall is something that has so many factors that it is hard to say what will happen. Technology will evolve of course, as we find ways for things to become more efficient and convenient. Socially, I think we will eventually become more accepting of the differences that divide people today, though there will be many fights and setbacks along the way, and people will probably find new differences to fight over.

            I think one of the major problems when contemplating the future is that most people think in the way that I do: thinking of their own problems and goals, and not contemplating the bigger picture. This is how we get issues like global warming and pollution; people avoid thinking down the line, and what will occur in the world around them. I think that is why we need leaders and a government that will think beyond themselves and work toward our goals in the imagined future, taking the world around them into account. Maybe the start of this is having everyone think about the far-off and imagined future more, and trying to work towards it. I don’t have the answer to this either, as I’m still preoccupied with next week’s dinner.