<div dir="ltr"><div><font size="4">“Where do you see yourself in five years?” It’s a classic job
interview question, designed to probe your level of ambition and
aspiration. And it probes about as far ahead as many of us are likely to
think: with so many distractions in the here and now, so many crises
and challenges and opportunities that will arise, and so much that seems
likely to change, who can meticulously sit and plan for decades ahead?
</font><p><font size="4">This isn’t unique to humans as individuals; it’s true of
organizations as well. Financial investment is motivated by the desire
to realize a profit, usually on a short timescale. Our political systems
are dominated by short four- or five-year electoral cycles. The
ever-accelerating pace of technological innovation makes the long-term <a href="https://singularityhub.com/tag/future/">future</a> difficult
to visualize—and also, perhaps, misleads us into thinking that change
can only take place in years or decades, rather than centuries or
millennia.</font></p><font size="4">
</font><p><font size="4">Our own limited lifespans often set the upper limit to the timescales
we consider: at most, those who have children might start to imagine
what life will be like when they grow old. Unfortunately, it’s precisely
our short-term thinking that could mean life is far worse for future
generations than it might otherwise be. How can we combat this deeply
embedded short-termism and get people to think about centuries,
millennia, and beyond?"</font></p><font size="4">
</font></div><div><font size="4">What are your long-term goals? : )<br></font></div><div><font size="4"><br></font></div><div><font size="4"><a href="https://singularityhub.com/2020/12/31/forget-your-five-year-plan-what-if-we-visualized-humanitys-future-in-centuries-millennia-and-beyond/">https://singularityhub.com/2020/12/31/forget-your-five-year-plan-what-if-we-visualized-humanitys-future-in-centuries-millennia-and-beyond/</a> </font><br></div></div>