Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs - An Antidote for Short-Termism
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- Create Date：2022-08-17 06:21:50
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Ari Wallach
- ISBN：0063068737
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Summary
An antidote to nearsightedness。 Ari Wallach won't just leave you planning months or years ahead--he challenges you to look generations ahead。 Get ready to think and think again。 -- Adam Grant， #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife
A paradigm-shifting manifesto for transforming our thinking from reactionary short-termism to the long-term， widening our scope beyond today， tomorrow， and to even five hundred years from now to reclaim meaning in our lives。
Many of the problems we face today， from climate change to work anxiety， are the result of short-term thinking。 We are constantly bombarded by notifications and "Breaking News" that are overwhelming our central nervous systems， forcing us to react in the moment and ultimately disconnecting us from what truly matters。 But there is a solution。
Futurist Ari Wallach offers a radical new way forward called "longpath，" a mantra and mindset to help us focus on the long view。 Drawing on history， theology， neuroscience， evolutionary psychology， and social technologies， Longpath teaches readers to strengthen their ability to look ahead， relieve reactions to stressful events， increase capacity for cooperation， and even boost creativity。 Wallach challenges readers to ask themselves， "to what end？"--what is my ultimate goal and how does my choice align with my values？ And even more provocatively， Wallach challenges readers to ask "to what end？" for civilization at large。
Whether it's work， marriage， parenting， or simply trying to be a good human on the planet， framing decisions from a much larger scale creates a more fulfilling and sustainable life now and for future generations。
A paradigm-shifting manifesto for transforming our thinking from reactionary short-termism to the long-term， widening our scope beyond today， tomorrow， and to even five hundred years from now to reclaim meaning in our lives。
Many of the problems we face today， from climate change to work anxiety， are the result of short-term thinking。 We are constantly bombarded by notifications and "Breaking News" that are overwhelming our central nervous systems， forcing us to react in the moment and ultimately disconnecting us from what truly matters。 But there is a solution。
Futurist Ari Wallach offers a radical new way forward called "longpath，" a mantra and mindset to help us focus on the long view。 Drawing on history， theology， neuroscience， evolutionary psychology， and social technologies， Longpath teaches readers to strengthen their ability to look ahead， relieve reactions to stressful events， increase capacity for cooperation， and even boost creativity。 Wallach challenges readers to ask themselves， "to what end？"--what is my ultimate goal and how does my choice align with my values？ And even more provocatively， Wallach challenges readers to ask "to what end？" for civilization at large。
Whether it's work， marriage， parenting， or simply trying to be a good human on the planet， framing decisions from a much larger scale creates a more fulfilling and sustainable life now and for future generations。
Reviews
Elissa Ehrlich
，
I found Longpath to be a trenchant guide to thinking and acting in a way that not only helps future generations but the current one as well！ Yes， you can have it both ways by learning about the longpath mindset， implementing it and living it。 Since I completed this book I have seen things through a very different lens; less as a person going about my life and more as a great ancestor in the making。 This is an important book。 Read it。 Pass it along to friends and family。 Your ancestors will thank I found Longpath to be a trenchant guide to thinking and acting in a way that not only helps future generations but the current one as well！ Yes， you can have it both ways by learning about the longpath mindset， implementing it and living it。 Since I completed this book I have seen things through a very different lens; less as a person going about my life and more as a great ancestor in the making。 This is an important book。 Read it。 Pass it along to friends and family。 Your ancestors will thank you。 。。。more
Alex DiGerlando
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A welcome alternative to the cottage industry of anxiety-inducing dystopian fiction and popular science books that list all the ways our future is going wrong， Ari Wallach’s LONGPATH charts a course toward utopia that is both engaging and within our grasp。 By citing clear and relatable anecdotes as well as offering a series of introspective exercises and empathetic thought experiments， Wallach ingeniously reframes the idea of “the Future” as a way of being rather than a far-off destination。 Less A welcome alternative to the cottage industry of anxiety-inducing dystopian fiction and popular science books that list all the ways our future is going wrong， Ari Wallach’s LONGPATH charts a course toward utopia that is both engaging and within our grasp。 By citing clear and relatable anecdotes as well as offering a series of introspective exercises and empathetic thought experiments， Wallach ingeniously reframes the idea of “the Future” as a way of being rather than a far-off destination。 Less of a presaging of what tomorrow will be， the best way to think of LONGPATH is as a guidebook to achieving the tomorrow we want。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Mark Deklin
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Thirty years ago， in his groundbreaking book ISHMAEL， Daniel Quinn opined that “…people need more than to be scolded， more than to be made to feel stupid and guilty。 They need more than a vision of doom。 They need a vision of the world and of themselves that inspires them。” With LONGPATH， futurist Ari Wallach offers us just such an inspired vision。 Wallach is a worthy heir to Quinn， and many others whose work will resonate with readers; Thomas Merton’s soulful kindness， Ken Wilbur’s philosophica Thirty years ago， in his groundbreaking book ISHMAEL， Daniel Quinn opined that “…people need more than to be scolded， more than to be made to feel stupid and guilty。 They need more than a vision of doom。 They need a vision of the world and of themselves that inspires them。” With LONGPATH， futurist Ari Wallach offers us just such an inspired vision。 Wallach is a worthy heir to Quinn， and many others whose work will resonate with readers; Thomas Merton’s soulful kindness， Ken Wilbur’s philosophical pragmatism， David Sedaris’ self-deprecating humor， Yuval Harari’s sweeping contextualization （balanced with Joseph Campbell’s diligent scholarship）， Barack Obama’s hopeful audacity…there are echoes of all of these in LONGPATH， and from this chorus arises Wallach’s distinct and gentle voice， offering us a sane and practical antidote to what he accurately labels “short-termism。”Research shows， time and again， that people are best motivated to make positive behavioral changes when they’re first warned about something （like， say， climate change） and are then presented with a positive vision of what the future could look like if we were to actually take appropriate actions。 That second part is crucial。 Without it， people tend to shut down。 They feel hopeless and lost。 We’ve been warned， and what we’re living with now is a vision of doom — but what we need to start working on is a new mythology of the future。 A future where our very purpose is to make civilization work so that it contributes to the flourishing of all life。 It’s a future that we don’t seem to have a very clear vision of at the moment， but we can change that — and Ari Wallach is and will continue to be a vital contributor to that ongoing， absolutely critical dialogue。 。。。more
Eric
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What a great read。 Makes you think about how and why we make the decisions we do。 Loved it！
Ruth Baldwin
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An essential book for a world in crisis。 Ari Wallach's "Longpath" skillfully blends personal history， philosophy， neuroscience， and evolutionary psychology to make the persuasive case that humanity has reached a tipping point， and now is the moment to shift away from short-term thinking to instead place longterm， holistic decision-making at the heart of all our actions。 It is only by adopting the roadmap that Wallach so skillfully articulates in his warm and engaging book that we can become the An essential book for a world in crisis。 Ari Wallach's "Longpath" skillfully blends personal history， philosophy， neuroscience， and evolutionary psychology to make the persuasive case that humanity has reached a tipping point， and now is the moment to shift away from short-term thinking to instead place longterm， holistic decision-making at the heart of all our actions。 It is only by adopting the roadmap that Wallach so skillfully articulates in his warm and engaging book that we can become the ancestors our future generations not only need， but deserve。 。。。more
Louise Foerster
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Ari Wallach takes the long view of life， the world， and possibility。 Extending the too-common emphasis on the right here and right now， Wallach takes us on a journey in his book LONGPATH for what is possible if you take the really long view， asking "to what end" as you contemplate personal， community， and world-wide change。 I felt my own timelines for expectations for myself and my work to stretch and expand as I read the book， such that the urgent and nagging fell away when I turned a long pers Ari Wallach takes the long view of life， the world， and possibility。 Extending the too-common emphasis on the right here and right now， Wallach takes us on a journey in his book LONGPATH for what is possible if you take the really long view， asking "to what end" as you contemplate personal， community， and world-wide change。 I felt my own timelines for expectations for myself and my work to stretch and expand as I read the book， such that the urgent and nagging fell away when I turned a long perspective upon them。 I've lived the horrific pressure of delivering quarterly sales and profits， even to the point of the weekly numbers over which we had very little control， so this book was a welcome relief and a joy to contemplate and put into effect。 I received an early copy of this book and these opinions are my own， unbiased thoughts。 。。。more
Sharon Goldman
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A rare combination of "how-to" framework backed by science and experience， heartwarming stories and elegant writing。 Recommending this to all my friends who are trying to make sense of the current moment in human history as well as for those who are thinking about what is next in their life。 It will change how you see the world A rare combination of "how-to" framework backed by science and experience， heartwarming stories and elegant writing。 Recommending this to all my friends who are trying to make sense of the current moment in human history as well as for those who are thinking about what is next in their life。 It will change how you see the world 。。。more
samantha shapses
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Wallach masterfully walks his readers through the process of becoming Longpath thinkers。 He does so by creating scaffolding after every chapter for the reader to practice becoming an ancestor that future generations need。 Wallach doesn't pretend to know all the answers， but has worked out the formula for us to find out together。 Brilliant！！ Wallach masterfully walks his readers through the process of becoming Longpath thinkers。 He does so by creating scaffolding after every chapter for the reader to practice becoming an ancestor that future generations need。 Wallach doesn't pretend to know all the answers， but has worked out the formula for us to find out together。 Brilliant！！ 。。。more
Nathan
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An incredibly important book from one of the world's leading minds - challenges us all to zoom out and focus on what we can all do within our own lifetimes to create the sort of world where our grandchildren's grandchildren will flourish。 5 stars！ An incredibly important book from one of the world's leading minds - challenges us all to zoom out and focus on what we can all do within our own lifetimes to create the sort of world where our grandchildren's grandchildren will flourish。 5 stars！ 。。。more
Jonathan
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A truly necessary read for our times。 Ari Wallach weaves in wisdom literature， political pragmatism， and neuroscience to offer an important complement to works like The Scout Mindset by Julia Galef， See no Stranger by Valarie Kaur， and Thinking， Fast and Slow， by Daniel Kahneman。 Wallach's contribution is more than analysis instead giving us a blueprint to act and work together on who we are so that we can bequeath a world for our descendants。 A truly necessary read for our times。 Ari Wallach weaves in wisdom literature， political pragmatism， and neuroscience to offer an important complement to works like The Scout Mindset by Julia Galef， See no Stranger by Valarie Kaur， and Thinking， Fast and Slow， by Daniel Kahneman。 Wallach's contribution is more than analysis instead giving us a blueprint to act and work together on who we are so that we can bequeath a world for our descendants。 。。。more
Alec Ross
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Like Victor E。 Frankl in Man's Search for Meaning， Ari Wallach gives us a roadmap to finding meaning and hope in this moment between what was and what will be with the deep insights and provocations one would expect from not just a futurist， but a father who cares deeply about the world we will leave behind to our descendants。 Like Victor E。 Frankl in Man's Search for Meaning， Ari Wallach gives us a roadmap to finding meaning and hope in this moment between what was and what will be with the deep insights and provocations one would expect from not just a futurist， but a father who cares deeply about the world we will leave behind to our descendants。 。。。more
Kim
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This is a genre I don't generally read， but am so glad that I did。 This book has helped to shift my way of thinking。 I have empathy for my ancestors and the decisions they made with the information they had。 The author made me think about how my decisions will affect generations well into the future。 I now contemplate how my ancestors will look back on the decisions I make and whether they will be proud or disappointed。 I found the author's anecdotes impactful and relatable。 The book overall was This is a genre I don't generally read， but am so glad that I did。 This book has helped to shift my way of thinking。 I have empathy for my ancestors and the decisions they made with the information they had。 The author made me think about how my decisions will affect generations well into the future。 I now contemplate how my ancestors will look back on the decisions I make and whether they will be proud or disappointed。 I found the author's anecdotes impactful and relatable。 The book overall was easy to read， taking a complicated subject matter and making it accessible to the general public。 。。。more
Helaine
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What the world needs now？ This book！ I nominate Ari Wallach as CFO （Chief Futures Officer） of the World。Through interesting examples and a clear and understandable trajectory， Ari Wallach opens our minds to considering the myriad possibilities before us。 And he suggests that， by foregoing short-term thinking and putting our efforts into the long-term， we can influence the tides of change in profound and positive ways。 In very readable form （I devoured the book in a day）， the author lays out a pa What the world needs now？ This book！ I nominate Ari Wallach as CFO （Chief Futures Officer） of the World。Through interesting examples and a clear and understandable trajectory， Ari Wallach opens our minds to considering the myriad possibilities before us。 And he suggests that， by foregoing short-term thinking and putting our efforts into the long-term， we can influence the tides of change in profound and positive ways。 In very readable form （I devoured the book in a day）， the author lays out a path to the future that can be followed by individuals， industries， societies， and civilizations。 The best thing is that it is a path that leads to HOPE！Longpath is a thoughtful， well-researched， well-written book that everyone should read。 It makes it clear that we can all “be the change we wish to see” and suggests clear ways in which we can achieve that。Please， for the sake of future generations， read this book。 。。。more
Nicholas Kloski
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I wanted to reach out and let the bookiverse know my thoughts on the Longpath book by Ari Wallach。 I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who feels as if there can be "more" to our daily lives。 Reflecting on Wallach's thoughts about "transgenerational empathy" I am reminded of some tools in the mindfulness movement。 Mindfulness （among many other things） asks us to be present in our activities to the （rightful） detriment of anxious interpretations of the past and/or darker fictions of the I wanted to reach out and let the bookiverse know my thoughts on the Longpath book by Ari Wallach。 I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who feels as if there can be "more" to our daily lives。 Reflecting on Wallach's thoughts about "transgenerational empathy" I am reminded of some tools in the mindfulness movement。 Mindfulness （among many other things） asks us to be present in our activities to the （rightful） detriment of anxious interpretations of the past and/or darker fictions of the future。 This book focuses very much on the present， but the present as a full embodiment of a temporal continuum。 The workbook aspects of this book （not highlighted by the cover or back， but rather， found inside the chapters） also highlight this fact。 The Longpath idea seems to be one that asks us to be mindful of ourselves （in our daily actions） as agents of change for the future。 Like ripples in a pond， our actions flow forward into the future to have effects we can never imagine。 And that is the draw of this way of thinking。。。the workbook sections of this book （as well as the foundational theory behind it in the balance of the writing） do not ask us to forecast what result our actions will have 50 years into the future。。。but just that "having an overlay" about those forward moving ripples will be of benefit to the world。"Having an overlay" is an easy thing to conceptualize， and Wallach does an effective job at the theory behind why we should do this， and accessible workbook-like activities do help bring those thoughts into action。 Recommended！ 。。。more
Brian Reich
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From what I read about him online， Ari Wallach spends all his time thinking about what's next - and is highly sought after for his expertise in helping individuals， corporations， governments， and community leaders to make sense of the future。 In this new book， Longpath， Ari offers us a new mindset and the two critically important tools embedded within that mindset that we can all use to determine how the future should unfold。 The first are an understanding of our current historical moment - wha From what I read about him online， Ari Wallach spends all his time thinking about what's next - and is highly sought after for his expertise in helping individuals， corporations， governments， and community leaders to make sense of the future。 In this new book， Longpath， Ari offers us a new mindset and the two critically important tools embedded within that mindset that we can all use to determine how the future should unfold。 The first are an understanding of our current historical moment - what he terms "The Intertidal"- which is an appreciation for the impact of various technological， political， and intellectual forces have had on our thinking and behavior over the past 400 years， and the knowledge that we are not alone in hoping that something better awaits us up ahead beyond this intertidal。 He provides comfort and support to all of us seeking to negotiate this complex period of transition where we find ourselves， when everything we know and believe is being challenged。 Second， he offers us a set of tools for understanding our present， and most importantly， conceiving our future。 These tools will help us to ensure that the decisions we make today can't undermine our potential。 They give us the strength， and confidence， to power ahead undaunted。As you read Longpath， you quickly realize that hope is not a strategy， and that the future cannot， and will not， be decided by the actions of a few people。 We all have to go about things differently。 Ari admonishes us to find others and work collectively。 He gives us permission to unlock the full power of our imagination （something I have written about and advocated） so that we envision a path - one that stretches far ahead - and stay on course。 And through powerful stories， thought-provoking observations， and rich language， he gives us an invitation to do our part to pave the way to a better world。 Read the book。 Accept the invitation。 And get to work。 。。。more
Jay
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In the book “10-10-10” by Suzy Welch， the author suggests that a good way to consider the possible impacts of a decision are to think of the impacts in 10 minutes， 10 weeks， and 10 years。 By doing this， you consider the results of your action from different perspectives。 “Longpath” is the same kind of book， recommending the consideration of impacts of your actions and decisions in three different time perspectives。 Here， the author choses the immediate past， the individual present， and the long In the book “10-10-10” by Suzy Welch， the author suggests that a good way to consider the possible impacts of a decision are to think of the impacts in 10 minutes， 10 weeks， and 10 years。 By doing this， you consider the results of your action from different perspectives。 “Longpath” is the same kind of book， recommending the consideration of impacts of your actions and decisions in three different time perspectives。 Here， the author choses the immediate past， the individual present， and the long term future。 The past timeframe is more of a reflection on the impact to others。 The present is defined as the impact on the self， and the long term uses the term ancestry， so you are really thinking long term。 I found this long-term thinking to be somewhat ill defined for purpose。 When you think long term， you need to understand the many possible directions that the world could go in。 I expected the author would talk about scenarios， or discuss that the farther out one goes， the more the imagined future could be anything。 No， instead the author suggested leaning on virtues， personal and societal， to make decisions。 And there was a disregard for those unintended consequences that could outweigh the virtuous good in a decision。 And strangely， when the author mentions an effort to involve all citizens of a Caribbean country in a kind of group study of possible futures， apropos to the ideas in this book， he drops the subject with just the mention。 I liked the idea of thinking through decisions based on lenses of differing time horizons， but by placing one so far in the future， the message seems diminished。 。。。more
Paul
，
This is a quick read and a mostly good one。 There are some good thoughts and perspectives， along with a few graphics to illustrate some points and help make the material more memorable。 I don't think this will drive a lot of action， but it's still a worthwhile read。Thanks very much for the free ARC for review！！ This is a quick read and a mostly good one。 There are some good thoughts and perspectives， along with a few graphics to illustrate some points and help make the material more memorable。 I don't think this will drive a lot of action， but it's still a worthwhile read。Thanks very much for the free ARC for review！！ 。。。more
Caroline
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It's a really heavy book， and I didn't know if it would actually be useful to push people into conversations about long-term consequences and multi-party commitments to a better future。 I received a review copy from NetGalley and have left my opinion。 It's a really heavy book， and I didn't know if it would actually be useful to push people into conversations about long-term consequences and multi-party commitments to a better future。 I received a review copy from NetGalley and have left my opinion。 。。。more
Holly G
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This is a strong， timely book。 There are many times throughout reading it that I felt called to action in really subtle， yet moving， ways。 If a person is looking for broad behaviors to feel active in their ，”longpath，” view I feel this book is a wonderful path to start that process。 Great book。 I will reference and recommend to fellow readers！
Zf
，
Interesting concept that fails to deliver。 The introduction delivered the best message of the entire book: stay the course， look ahead。
Richard Propes
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