The author of The Good Ancestor, Roman Krznaric, argues that we live in an “age of pathological short-termism.” “We treat the future like a distant colonial outpost devoid of people, where we can freely dump ecological degradation, technological risk and nuclear waste, and which we can plunder as we please.” But, as Krznaric asserts, we have the capacity to forge a new era of long-term thinking.
What new insights, thoughts and ideas for action might emerge if we used speculative time travel to practise long-term thinking? What new perspectives might an exploration that seeks to empathise with future generations unravel about where we place our time and effort? What might we learn when collectively visiting one possible future and walking in the shoes of our great-grandchildren while they go about their day of work? Could it give us a better understanding and sense of our role as ancestors and help us become long-term thinkers?
Malmö Algae
Sana is the first in her department to arrive right after sunrise. She says good morning to the algae. She cherishes this quiet moment of reflection before the hustle of the day starts. This is the time when she feels the deepest connection to the algae; when she hears them the best and when new ideas emerge. As a researcher in algae-based food production, being present and connecting with the community’s main source of nutrition is important to her. And she enjoys time alone with the algae to observe this amazing species, its wisdom and adaptability. It helps her gain energy for what she feels is a continuous fight to get things right and not fall back into the greedy patterns of humanity. To balance what they are trying to achieve with what is necessary to survive as a community.
An hour later, Sol arrives feeling present and connected. Despite her frustration with how we still try to control nature, she feels hopeful that change is underway. In her work with the synchronicity between nature and people, she makes sure both systems are thriving. She’s found her place in this work that is pure flow, with thriving being the most important parameter. She can’t believe that people once used productivity and time as a way to measure success. Sol feels excited about the upcoming sensing session. She facilitates these sessions once a week, where the Malmö Algae departments and the community come together with nature to sense into the energy and pick up any frequencies of disconnect or abnormal degeneration. She is starting to see the impact of these sessions in improvements in the community’s presence and collective sensing capability.
Nulov makes his way into the building. Relieved to escape from the warming sun—it’s the hottest summer since 2112 when even the algae, usually so adaptable to any weather, was starting to show signs of stress. "2Oh November, how I miss you”, he thinks feeling his blue uniform stick to his sweaty back. He’s not sure how he feels today other than hot and sweaty. Most days he feels confused in his role as an ecosystem whistleblower—puzzled by the fact that most humans still try to control nature while being entirely dependent on it and its ability to adapt and steer. But since he started to collaborate with Jessie, a legal and ethical advocate for the algae and other non-human stakeholders, he’s found a new sense of clarity and purpose in his work. Joining forces with someone who also believes that the algae should have a seat at the table gives him hope that change is possible.
The need for collaboration is eternal
Our societies are interconnected with nature, but most of the time we are unaware of it. How might our work look if we woke up to this awareness? Would we be more responsible? What could we learn? What might our role be? Would it necessarily be that of caretaker? How could individuals change their own work?
Imagining alternatives to our current silo-based management systems and practices is surprisingly challenging. But change happens in the convergence of diverse ideas and perspectives. Openness, communication and cross-disciplinary collaboration are key whether innovating on new solutions, combatting the climate emergency or building organisations where people thrive. This takes effort and time—not least for listening, rest, balance and flow as part of work instead of as a coping strategy.
Strong individualism hinders us from taking care of our societies and the planet. How might we change our role and views on community and how we relate to the social and natural ecosystems we are embedded in? How do we reduce consumption, move away from owning to access, and adopt a custodian role?
We should not lose sight of why we work and what value we create. Is it to make the planet and its inhabitants thrive? Or for something else? People want workplaces that are more in tune with nature and work should focus on the things that really matter for the survival of our communities.
This narrative is based on a scenario collectively conceived and developed by core group participants in a Collaborative Foresight cycle. The group's voice was captured and creatively expanded by the writer.
