Longpath
Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs - an Antidote for Short-Termism
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Summary
In a world obsessed with the here and now, Ari Wallach's "Longpath" offers a daring escape into the profound expanse of time. This isn't just a book—it's a call to action for those weary of short-term fixes and hungry for meaningful change. Wallach, a visionary futurist, unfolds a tapestry woven from history, neuroscience, and philosophy, challenging readers to expand their horizons far beyond the immediate. By embracing the Longpath mindset, we find the courage to ask not just "what now?" but "to what end?" for ourselves and civilization. This manifesto is a clarion call to reconnect with what truly matters, ensuring that our choices resonate across generations. Are you ready to redefine your legacy and contribute to a future that honors both our past and our potential?
Introduction
Picture yourself standing in the Roman Colosseum, imagining the roar of fifty thousand spectators from centuries past. Now leap forward to the year 4020 AD—the same temporal distance into the future. What will those future inhabitants think of us? Will they visit our soccer stadiums as we visit ancient amphitheaters? Will they marvel at our primitive gas-powered vehicles, or will they resent us for the climate crisis we left behind? This temporal perspective reveals humanity's greatest challenge: our addiction to short-term thinking in an age that demands long-term wisdom. We live in what the author calls an "Intertidal" moment—a period of unprecedented global transformation where old systems are breaking down and new ones are emerging. Unlike previous civilizations that had centuries to adapt, we face simultaneous crises: climate change, technological disruption, social fragmentation, and existential threats that could determine whether our species thrives or merely survives. The book introduces a revolutionary framework for navigating this critical juncture. By developing "Transgenerational Empathy"—connecting with both our ancestors and descendants—and learning to envision "Participatory Futures" rather than accepting predetermined destinies, we can become the great ancestors future generations desperately need. This approach isn't just philosophical; it's practical wisdom for parents wrestling with daily decisions, leaders making corporate choices, and anyone who believes their actions matter beyond their lifetime. The stakes couldn't be higher, but neither could the opportunity for positive transformation.
The Intertidal Moment: Why Short-Term Thinking Fails Us Now
We stand at an extraordinary inflection point in human history, comparable to the Agricultural Revolution twelve thousand years ago. The author terms this an "Intertidal" period—borrowing from marine biology where the shoreline exists sometimes underwater, sometimes exposed to air, creating both dangerous instability and incredible creative potential. Our current Intertidal encompasses simultaneous transformations: mass population growth, climate upheaval, technological acceleration, and fundamental questions about what it means to be human. Our evolutionary wiring works against us during these transitions. For millennia, short-term thinking served our ancestors well—grabbing available berries, fleeing immediate threats, securing shelter for the night. These survival instincts helped humans thrive in small bands but become counterproductive when facing civilizational challenges requiring decades or centuries to resolve. Modern technology amplifies this problem through what researchers call "presentism"—constant notifications, real-time feedback, and digital stimuli that keep our attention trapped in increasingly narrow time horizons. The consequences of our temporal myopia are everywhere. Corporate executives admit feeling pressured to focus on quarterly results over long-term value creation. Parents receive instant notifications about missed homework assignments, triggering stress responses better suited to saber-toothed tiger encounters than supporting their children's genuine learning. Political systems reward short-term promises over generational stewardship. Consumer culture, deliberately designed to exploit our base instincts for immediate gratification, disconnects us from understanding the true costs of our choices. Yet this same Intertidal moment offers unprecedented opportunity. When systems reach maximum chaos, complexity theory suggests they can suddenly shift into higher orders of organization—like scattered birds forming a magnificent murmuration. Small actions can produce enormous effects during these pivotal periods. The question becomes whether we'll consciously participate in humanity's next evolutionary leap or let circumstances determine our fate by default.
Transgenerational Empathy: Connecting Past, Present and Future
The journey toward long-term thinking begins with understanding our place in the vast chain of human existence. Transgenerational empathy involves three interconnected practices: developing empathy for our ancestors, cultivating self-compassion in the present, and extending care toward future generations not yet born. Most Western philosophy constrains moral thinking within individual lifespans—a fundamental limitation when addressing multigenerational challenges. By expanding our temporal frame, we begin recognizing how profoundly the past lives within us. Our bodies carry evolutionary adaptations from countless ancestors; our reflexes, fears, and behavioral patterns echo experiences from previous generations. Understanding this inheritance isn't about excusing harmful patterns but about seeing clearly enough to consciously choose which legacies to continue and which to transform. The practice requires honest reckoning with inherited trauma while maintaining self-compassion for our own imperfections. Whether examining family patterns or civilizational wounds like slavery or genocide, the goal isn't judgment but learning. South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission demonstrated how acknowledging painful histories can create foundations for healthier futures. Similarly, Germany's public memorialization of Holocaust horrors earns trust by refusing denial or minimization. Self-compassion proves essential for this work because shame blocks the vulnerability needed for genuine transformation. Organizations like NASA and Starbucks have discovered that creating safe spaces for acknowledging mistakes—without punishment—enables faster learning and improvement. The same principle applies to personal growth and intergenerational healing. Perhaps most challenging is developing empathy for descendants we'll never meet. Research reveals that our brains perceive our future selves almost like strangers, making it difficult to make sacrifices for long-term benefit. However, concrete representations of the future—empty picture frames for unborn family members, designated chairs for future generations in decision-making meetings—can bridge this empathy gap. When Japanese communities appointed representatives for future generations during resource allocation discussions, sustainable choices increased from twenty-eight percent to sixty percent. This simple intervention demonstrates how making the future present can transform our decision-making.
Creating Desired Futures: From Official Narratives to Participatory Visions
Rather than passively accepting predetermined destinies, we possess the power to consciously shape multiple possible futures. The concept of an "Official Future"—that singular narrative about where we're supposedly headed—has dominated human thinking for centuries. Our current Official Future, rooted in Enlightenment ideals, assumes technological progress and individual achievement will solve all problems while maintaining existing power structures. This narrative is cracking under pressure from actual results. Despite unprecedented technological capabilities, mental health crises proliferate, environmental destruction accelerates, and social fragmentation deepens. The promise that more technology, more growth, and more individual success will create flourishing societies rings increasingly hollow. When official narratives lose credibility, they create space for more creative and inclusive alternatives. The alternative involves "Participatory Futures"—recognizing that multiple pathways exist and we can collectively influence which ones manifest. Using tools like the "futures cone," we can map the journey from probable futures (straight-line extensions of current trends) through plausible futures (requiring some changes) to possible futures (pushing boundaries of what's achievable) and finally to examined, desired futures (deeply questioning what we actually want and why). This examination process proves crucial because many desires stem from unquestioned assumptions rather than authentic values. The teenager taking stimulants to improve academic performance, the executive prioritizing quarterly earnings, the community accepting environmental degradation for economic growth—all may be pursuing inherited definitions of success without questioning whether those definitions serve human flourishing. Creating examined desired futures requires identifying our "telos"—our ultimate purpose or destination. Like Odysseus knowing Ithaca was his true home regardless of which winds blew him off course, we need clarity about what we're ultimately working toward. For many readers, this telos might involve a vision of humanity that combines Mother Teresa's compassion, Einstein's intelligence, and the collaborative spirit of millions who volunteer for humanitarian causes—essentially, a "better us" that maintains full humanity while transcending unnecessary suffering and maximizing collective potential across generations.
Finding the Others: Building Collective Action for Tomorrow
Individual transformation, while necessary, remains insufficient for navigating humanity's current challenges. The scale of change required demands collective action—finding ways to work together despite our differences while maintaining the creative tension that produces innovation and growth. This isn't about eliminating disagreement but about learning to hold disagreement within a larger shared commitment to human and ecological flourishing. History provides examples of such collaboration even in dire circumstances. During World War I's Christmas truce, German and British soldiers spontaneously created connection across battle lines through shared carols and games. Their underlying humanity transcended temporary enmities, suggesting that even in extremely polarized situations, common ground remains accessible to those willing to seek it. Building these connections requires multiple approaches. Vision-sharing allows us to paint pictures of possible futures that capture imaginations and inspire action. Science fiction writers like Gene Roddenberry created representations of racial equality and technological advancement that influenced real-world developments. Conversational engagement involves meeting people where they are rather than demanding immediate ideological conversion. Facilitation means creating safe spaces where diverse perspectives can contribute to collective problem-solving without fear of ridicule or punishment. Perhaps most importantly, our daily ways of being demonstrate the futures we want to create. Small actions—making eye contact with strangers, expressing gratitude, keeping commitments, sharing resources—model the trustful, connected world many desire. Research confirms that moral behavior spreads through social networks; kindness and cooperation prove contagious when consistently demonstrated. The goal isn't perfection but direction. Like geodesic domes that distribute stress across interconnected triangular supports, human communities become stronger when individuals support collective resilience rather than pursuing isolated success. Each person's efforts to think and act with future generations in mind creates ripple effects that can ultimately shift entire cultural norms toward longer-term, more empathetic decision-making.
Summary
Throughout human history, our greatest challenges have required expanding our circles of concern beyond immediate self-interest toward larger wholes. Today's interconnected global crises demand the ultimate expansion: caring for people and ecosystems across both space and time. The central tension explored here involves humanity's evolutionary wiring for short-term survival conflicting with our current need for long-term wisdom and cooperation. The solution isn't abandoning our human nature but consciously evolving it. By developing transgenerational empathy, we connect our daily choices to the vast chain of ancestors who enabled our existence and descendants who depend on our stewardship. By creating participatory futures rather than accepting predetermined destinies, we reclaim agency over humanity's trajectory. By finding others who share commitment to collective flourishing, we build the collaborative capacity necessary for navigating unprecedented challenges. The practical implications are both humble and profound. We can ask "What would my ancestors think?" and "How will this affect my great-grandchildren?" before making significant decisions. We can practice self-compassion while honestly examining inherited patterns we want to change. We can facilitate conversations that envision desired futures rather than merely critique current problems. Most fundamentally, we can recognize that how we show up in each moment—whether patient or reactive, generous or grasping, hopeful or despairing—ripples across time in ways we may never fully comprehend but that ultimately shape the world our descendants will inherit. The choice between becoming great ancestors or cautionary tales remains ours to make, one decision at a time.
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By Ari Wallach
