NicoleSwan.com

The sacrifice of the long term in favor of the short term in business has been bothering me for some time. However, as I continue to ponder it, it strikes me that the same problem can be traced all the way back to an individual, personal level. People consistently make short term decisions at the detriment of the long term. I do it as well — shelling out for an expensive handbag with money I should have saved or driving my car when I could ride my bike and save a pinch of earth’s resources.

Of course, considering the long term with every decision one makes on a daily basis would be a time consuming, laborious task. I’m in no way an advocate of living one’s life stuck at home, stricken with indecision. However, one area where I see a decided lack of long term thinking is in political positions and decisions. Was anyone thinking about a long term exit strategy when the Iraq War was approved? When the extension of the Patriot Act is pushed, do those in favor consider how this affects civil liberties in the US twenty years from now? If Intelligent Design is allowed in the classroom, what would be the effect to the perception of scientific method? Do people in favor of a federal healthcare system consider the debt load, probable bureaucracy, and economic effects on the long term health (fiscally, and healthcare system in general) of the US?

Thinking long term is hard. The short term is always much easier to judge, but I believe the US would benefit from a decided surge in long term thinking.