Jim Dator 'Living Make-Belief: Thriving in a Dream Society'

I’m honoured that the focus of this episode of ‘The New Abnormal’ podcast is Jim Dator, who’s had an extraordinary impact on futures-thinking. 

Indeed, I believe one would struggle to find someone else who could today be genuinely given the title of “the world’s leading futurist”. Although Jim is far too self-effacing to bestow that title on himself, it’s an accolade he thoroughly deserves.

His career has been a lifelong invitation to ‘think differently about tomorrow’, with his intellectual rigor and curiosity expanding what it means to study “The Future.” Professor Emeritus and former Director of the Research Centre for Futures Studies, Dept of Political Science, at the University of Hawaii; he more or less invented futures studies during his time teaching at university in Japan in the 1960’s, before returning to the US and introducing the first course there. He’s also taught at universities in Canada, Yugoslavia, France, and Korea. And he’s the former President of the World Futures Studies Federation. 

For this podcast, we agreed to mainly focus on his latest book “Living Make-Belief: Thriving in a Dream Society” in which Jim illuminates his ideas about the past, present, and futures of modes of communication and social change. (And he of course mentions Rolf Jensen c/o Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies.) But we naturally also allude to his other books, articles and staggeringly wide array of intellectual viewpoints, in a podcast where, while he supplied the script, as he’s over ninety years old, Jim asked me to voice the episode on his behalf.

It was incredibly kind of him to allow me to tell his story (or at least some of it) and I’m delighted that he was so pleased with the results.  

And, of course, I hope you enjoy the episode as well. 

He really is a genius.