“'I had been writing books and lecturing and talking about empathy for many years,' says Roman Krznaric, a self-proclaimed public philosopher. 'But what I hadn’t thought about so much is this: How do we step into the shoes, not just across the space, but through time—with people in future generations?'

"This question guides Krznaric’s book The Good Ancestor: How to Think Long Term in a Short‑Term World. It is a volume brimming with ideas about how to combat 'our pathological short-termism,' as he calls it. In the age of the 'buy now' button, we are collectively failing to acknowledge how climate change, resource overconsumption, and biodiversity loss are sentencing coming generations to live on a chaotic planet.

"Empathy toward future generations is a way to think long. One can’t offer a cake, a hug, or words of support to people born in the 23rd century. But gifts and words are not the only means to convey care for another person, and as Krznaric writes, being a good Samaritan is no longer enough. The 21st century requires us to become good ancestors."

Article: “Are We Being Good Ancestors?” Should be the Central Question of our Time.