Social philosopher Roman Krznaric (Oxford University, The Long Now Foundation) challenges the audience to rethink their priorities in an age dominated by “the tyranny of the now.”
In his presentation, followed by a conversation with Ruby Reed (Advaya), he argues that society’s focus on short-term gains, from quarterly profits to immediate political wins, has led to social inequalities and damage to nature that future generations will inherit.
“Never before in human history have our actions had such potentially damaging consequences for the generations to come”, Krznaric emphasizes. “We treat the future like a distant colonial outpost where we can freely dump ecological degradation and technological risk as if there was nobody there.”
Krznaric advocates for replacing GDP growth with more balanced metrics like economist Kate Raworth’s concept of Doughnut Economics, which aims to meet social needs without overshooting planetary boundaries.
Watch the video for further insights into frameworks for longer-term thinking, including cathedral thinking, and bring future generations into present decision-making.
