V shape, U shape, L shape; OH MY!
We are quarantined and probably going a little stir-crazy, so let’s allow our minds to wander a bit.
What will the future look like? Economists, public health experts and analysts from across industries are working around the clock to parse together models for the next few months. When and how will we be able to open up the economy again? What industries will need continued stimulus? How can we keep our airlines, supply chains, and love lives intact? What entrepreneurial and investment opportunities are begging to be taken advantage of while markets and sentiments are low?
Will we need to go to the office anymore? Will companies “go lean” and cut out unnecessary roles, office space, and streamline efficiencies?
What kind of a future will we live in?
All this future talk reminds me of a class I took during my second quarter at Northwestern University co-taught by the president, Morton Schapiro, and Professor Gary Saul Morson.
This was no ordinary class; our professors actually wrote a book based from it:
“Will the future be one of economic expansion, greater tolerance, liberating inventions, and longer, happier lives? Or do we face economic stagnation, declining quality of life, and a technoÂlogically enhanced totalitarianism worse than any yet seen? The Fabulous Future? America and the World in 2040 draws its inspiÂration from a more optimistic time, and tome, The Fabulous FuÂture: America in 1980, in which Fortune magazine celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary by publishing the predictions of thought leaders of its time.
In the present volume, the world’s leading specialists from diÂverse fields project developments in their areas of expertise, from religion and the media to the environment and nanotechnology. Will we be happier, and what exactly does happiness have to do with our economic future? Where is higher education heading and how should it develop? And what is the future of prediction itself? These exciting essays provoke sharper questions, reflect unexpectedly on one another, and testify to our present anxieties about the surprising world to come.”
This book is the perfect read during your quarantine.
The Essays:
Wealth: The future of economic growth?
Health: Longer and healthier lives?
Happiness: A happier world?
Politics: The world in 2040?
Religion: The future of American religion?
Human Rights: Freedom’s future?
Science: Especially about the future?
Tech: The era of answers?
The Environment: Bridging the gap between knowing and doing?
Education: The future of higher ed in the US?
Communication: Media of the future?
Society: The future of fear mongering?
COVID-19 is changing the game for many of these predictions, and if you’re not paying attention, you’re doing your future self a disservice.
Why should you care?
The world on the other side of this pandemic won’t look the same as it once did, for better or worse.
Keeping up with evolving trends, market behaviors and political implications not only keeps you well informed about the current state of affairs, but also primes you for better decision making given your own personal circumstances.
Additionally, practicing curiosity enables you to ask better questions and find better answers.
It’s a lot of fun to imagine what things could be like on the other end.
I’m optimistic.
I’m optimistic that the COVID-19 quarantine is a time for mass self-reflection and deep work.
We have space from the things we once thought were essential but turn out not to be, and have simultaneously been reminded of what is truly essential.
Some fun things to ponder in the coming weeks:
1. Go through each of the topics from The Fabulous Future? and write out your own predictions for what you think will happen as the result of COVID-19.
2. Find a segment of the economy that piques your interest, and follow it closely. Listen to experts and weigh multiple perspectives.
3. Document how COVID has changed your outlook.
Someday, we will look back and understand the magnitude of this time in history.
For now, live it fully.
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A Fun Vision of AP History, 2080:
