Ari Wallach, an applied futurist and author of "Longpath", dives into the ethical dilemma of parenthood in a world facing crises like climate change and inequality. He argues that despite troubling headlines, human progress in diverse fields has made life today better than ever before. Wallach presents parenthood as a hopeful act and discusses the importance of preparing future generations to become responsible ancestors. He emphasizes that while challenges remain, moral advancements will create a brighter future.
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Think In Centuries Not Headlines
Ari Wallach urges viewing humanity from a 100- to 1,000-year perspective rather than headline-driven panic.
He highlights long-term gains in science, technology, morality, and values as reasons for cautious optimism.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Choose Parenthood As A Radical Act
Do treat having children as a deliberate, hopeful act that invests in better tomorrows.
Prepare to pass on tools and values that enable children to become effective ancestors for future generations.
insights INSIGHT
The Cost Of Short-Term Fixes
Wallach calls out 'sandbag strategies' as short-term fixes that avoid addressing root causes.
He warns these strategies compound problems over decades, producing exponential consequences.
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Climate change. War. Civil unrest. Is it responsible to have kids today? Futurist Ari Wallach explains.
If you pay too much attention to negative stories in the media, you might get the impression that the world is all doom and gloom — that humanity is headed for catastrophe. After all, things like climate change, wealth inequality, and political polarization are real problems that demand big solutions.
To some people, the state of our world is so bleak that they wonder whether it’s ethical to have children. But that’s a short-sighted worldview, according to Ari Wallach, author of Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs.
Wallach notes that even though our modern world has plenty of flaws, our lives are far better today than they would have been 100 or 1,000 years ago. And that’s thanks to achievements in all fields of human endeavor — from science to philosophy — that people work toward every day.
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About Ari Wallach
Ari Wallach is an applied futurist and Executive Director of Longpath Labs. He is the author of Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs by HarperCollins and the creator and host of the forthcoming series on PBS A Brief History of the Future, which is being executive produced by Kathryn Murdoch and Drake. He has been a strategy and foresight advisor to Fortune 100 companies, the US Department of State, the Ford Foundation, the UN Refugee Agency, the RacialEquity 2030 Challenge and Politico’s Long Game Forum. As adjunct associate professor at Columbia University he lectured on innovation, AI, and the future of public policy. Wallach's TED talk on Longpath has been viewed 2.6 million times and translated into 21 languages. Ari was the co-creator of 2008's pro-Obama The Great Schlep with Sarah Silverman. He has been featured in the New York Times, CNN, CNBC, Vox, and more. He lives in the lower Hudson Valley with his wife, three children and wonderdog Ozzie. More at Longpath.org and @ariw.
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