top of page

A toast to not repeating history's mistakes

Anonymous

November 29, 2024

A toast to not repeating history's mistakes

This image was generated with Dream Studio AI.

Dear future self,
We are currently living in times of great civil unrest. We see the atrocities committed around the world driven by a quest for more power, resources, productivity, success at the cost of another. Inequity is rampant and we are all victims of this as we live lives hoping for financial and physical freedom near the end of it.

Dear future self,
I hope you are living in a time post a transformation, with a new world order. I hope you are living in a time where transparency is rampant in political decision making and equity truely thrives. I hope you are living in a time where historically marginalised groups can represent themselves when policies and corporate decisions affect them (both positively and negatively). I hope you are living in a time where we are aware of and taking care of both the negative and positive externalities of our human actions on nature, where circularity is the norm and that we are truely regenerative - leaving a place thriving further than how we found it. I hope you are living in a time where the knowledge of traditional custodians of the land is prioritised, and a mind-body-spirit-place connection is restored. I hope technology is leveraged for the collective good, rather than a tool to build wealth for a few. I hope community has replaced the individualism that currently seeks to divide and conquer us. And I hope that colonialism in a macro scale, a micro scale, and in our minds is abolished and that we have learned from history's mistakes not to repeat its narratives.

related stories

hallo
Viltinga ateitis su taika su visais
The prediction of the future is always risky. Even the prophets of the Bible did not speak far ahead, but judged the realities they saw and predicted the future precisely because of their discernment. There are 25 years left until 2040. Undoubtedly - technical progress (provided that we do not destroy, there will be no crazy and warlike neighbors left). The most important thing is the relationship between people. I don't dream of communicating with thoughts or thanks to implanted devices. I hope that in 25 years, people will remain, or perhaps become, empathetic to those around them and to the environment - living and non-living nature. They will stop devastating nature, wisely manage and use resources, perhaps they will control the unbridled desire for wealth and power, and democracy will take more sustainable and humane forms. And I'm hoping for smarter rather than dumber fellow citizens who won't run to hide when they see a flying passenger plane that leaves a "tail" of smoke and doesn't burn 5G towers... I hope for a reasonable breakthrough in the preservation and maintenance of health, keeping the criterion of reasonableness and not resorting to experiments that go beyond the limits of humanity and reason. Nature (or perhaps the Creator) draws new surprises in all areas. With the advancement of medicine, bigger and more complex challenges and ugly diseases appear (or are discovered). I said it! It's expropriating.
hallo
Social Interactions
In 2040, I hope that day to day life will not have changed too much from what it is now. I feel in the previous 15 years technology has leaped forward, sometimes for the better but not always. I hope that we continue to have more personal interactions and meet socially more often. While I feel it is great that we can contact anyone in the world quickly and effectively with mobile phones, messaging apps and video calling, I feel that we are losing that face to face interaction because everyone is glued to their phones and sometimes are missing life passing them by.
hallo
Chciała bym żyć swobodniej
I do not have much imagination, but I think that progress always brings something good and through Europe you will be able to cross the railway, get off in the cities and regions that I want to see and again continue the journey to the next place. The train will be modern and fast, and the journey will be a lot of pleasure. Every man will be able to afford such a journey. Perhaps air travel will also be available to everyone and what you will travel will be a matter of individual choice.Every person will be able to see the beautiful cities of , like Brussels or Paris, you will be able to see the Loire Valley and the surroundings of Lake Garda.This would be a great relaxation after work, which today requires a lot of dedication from people and takes more and more private time. In the pursuit of money, we leave small and large pleasures behind us and do not think about what we lose.
hallo
Sąmoningi ir saugūs
In the world of the future, people's kindness and cooperation are strengthened. Governments have taken many firm and undeniable decisions about future well-being, not all of which are for the benefit of the people (e.g. tax rises), but society is conscious and, once it is understood, rejoices at , that these decisions make life good, albeit financially more difficult. We are safe!
Join #OurFutures now!

The future is shaped by our ideas and our actions today. Tell us about your visions of the future and help us create a futures narrative aimed at inspiring citizens, policy-makers and foresight experts alike!

Our-futures-banner-coloured_v3.jpg

The European Commission support does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained.

ERA_logo.jpg

We support the European Research Area aimed at creating a single, borderless market for research, innovation and technology in the EU.

©OurFutures 2025, All rights reserved.

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
bottom of page