Future Consciousness

Abstract

The central thesis of this article is that the creation of a good future, which is the central challenge of human life, is achieved through wisdom. Wisdom is a holistic capacity that is a synthesis of a set of key character virtues and the highest expression of future consciousness. Future consciousness consists of all normal human abilities and experiences, including emotion, imagination, anticipation, thinking, and purposeful action, involved in our consciousness of the future. The good future involves the facilitation of purposeful evolution, which is maximized through wisdom or heightened future consciousness. The fundamental dynamic principle in the universe is evolution and evolution itself is evolving. Through future consciousness humans have realized an evolution in evolution, involving thoughtful, informed, and purposeful evolution. Future consciousness is the most empowering and distinctive capacity of the human mind, both unique and yet expressive of the natural process of the evolution of evolution. Flourishing in the flow of evolution is a realistic theory of the good future that aligns with our future-directional dynamic reality. Wisdom is the most efficacious means for realizing flourishing and the good future. Wisdom can be strengthened in numerous ways, including the development and execution of a wisdom-inspired ideal future personal narrative. The ongoing development of wisdom provides a preferable direction for humanity’s future evolution. We should embrace an Age of Wisdom as an ideal future grand narrative for humanity. To best facilitate in others the realization of a good future, we should model ourselves on the ideals of wisdom; futurists should be wise people.