Do we think in terms of days, years, or millennia?

“When people have a bit too much time and space, creativity follows.”

I believe that when a society relieves its people the burden of worrying about survival needs, people generally have more freedom and mindspace to think for the greater good and to plan for the future of humanity, often in creative ways.

Take for example, countries where food and shelter is a concern — People worry if they can put food on the table that evening and the next day. They probably won’t have the mental energy to think about education, career advancement, or saving to buy a house somewhere if survival is on the line. As a result, people are limited to think in the time frame of days, months, or a few years at best.

Now think about the countries where individuals work hard to earn a good education, find a good job, purchase health insurance, save up for children’s college. They don’t have to worry about survival in the immediate term, yet they have to plan for retirement and their children’s well-being. Again, there is not much mindspace left for else aside from individual gains or the gains of immediate family members in the near future. In these cultures, people think and plan in the scale of the next decade to centennium.

Whereas, when a society is designed in a way that ensures universal income for the lifetime, education from childhood to late adulthood, perpetual health coverage, both for the individual’s lifetime and their children’s in the foreseeable generations to come, does that mean they have more time and space to brainstorm for things that benefit the future of humanity? I think so. In these cultures, progressive education, progressive prison, futuristic urban planning, high level of recyclability and control of waste, and a high degree of emphasis on sustainability are evident.

There people have time to pursue their “dream jobs”, choose professions and fields that genuinely interest them as opposed to decisions made based on monetary goals. There is room for courage to be different, to decide on the direction they wish to go in life and shape the world in the ways they desire. People find the time and space to plan for the most livable cities, the most sustainable materials, and the initiatives that make people happier. They plan for the next millennium.

I deeply admire these societies. Many of us are stuck in the rhythm of our immediate surroundings. But when we take a step back to observe, there is a lot to be learned in our capacity to think when we have breathing room for those thoughts.