Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs—An Antidote for Short-Termism
August 15, 2022
A manifesto for transforming our thinking from reactionary short-termism to the long-term, widening our scope beyond today, tomorrow, even five years from now to gain perspective, become more creative, and reclaim meaning in our lives.
Every major problem we face today, from climate change to work anxiety, is the result of short-term thinking. We are constantly bombarded by updates, 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. We must embrace what Ari Wallach, futurist and founder of Longpath Labs, calls the “longpath”—a mantra and mindset he developed to help us get beyond short-term thinking, focus on the long view, and cultivate a future-conscious mindset.
Drawing on history, philosophy, theology, neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, and technology, Longpath reframes how we see our lives and the world. Wallach teaches us how to utilize the longpath mindset to strengthen our ability to look ahead, increase our capacity for cooperation, and even boost our creativity. Every decision we make today impacts the future. Wallach helps us improve our decision-making, challenging each of us to ask, “what is my longpath?”—what is my end goal and how does my choice align with my values and needs?
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. By adopting the longpath mindset, we can relieve our reaction to stressful events and occurrences, cultivate future-conscious thinking, and come up with solutions to improve our lives today and tomorrow—and those of future generations.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ari Wallach is a futurist, social systems strategist, and the founder and Executive Director of Longpath Labs, an initiative focused on bringing together historical, present, and long-term thinking and coordinated behavior to the individual, organizational, and societal realms to ensure humanity flourishes for centuries to come. Wallach was also the founder and CEO of Synthesis Corp., a New York-based strategic innovation consultancy whose clients included CNN, Volkswagen Global, the United Nations Human Rights Council), the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the US State Department. He is adjunct associate professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, lecturing on innovation, Artificial Intelligence and the futures of governance and public policy. He lives in upstate New York.
The books for this giveaway are being provided by HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. We have 20 copies available. The giveaway ends on Sunday, August 21st.
