A FUTURES THINKING JAM ON THE FUTURE NEVER PAUSES By Ralph Mercer & Claire Nelson
Ralph Reading this issue of Human Futures reminded me of two quotes, The first from the German poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, who penned the opening words to his poem; The future: time’s excuse to frighten us; too vast a project, too large a morsel for the heart’s mouth. The words like the images in this issue give a silent framing to the human boundaries we create through fearing the accelerating change and despairing at the scale of problems that accompany a better future. However, the articles also echo the words of American Poet James M. Morris’s optimism as he gives voice to human tendencies to strive to reduce the complexity of human futures through literacies and competencies. A future time, a future place Here on Earth or out in space The doors are open, come on through Learn the skills, it’s up to you
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Claire Ralph, I love these poems. My riff on these poets is like this… From Rainer Maria Rilke… The future never pauses The future: time’s excuse to inspire us; so vast a space, light beams shining for the heart’s gaze. From James M. Morris… A future time, a future place Whether on Earth or Whether in space The paths are emerging, converging, diverging Which way we ask but do we hear; Listen to the voices calling us onward for the Future Never Pauses. Ralph Philosopher Jacques Rancière saw the creation of Fiction stories as not
bereft of reality but as saturated in reality. The saturation of Fiction brings to the future (I would add so does friction) a challenge to reality to be more than it is; to bend, transform and reshape itself. The friction resulting from the deconstruction of the present becomes the catalyst that shapes the future we need. We need to make room for the voices of new realities. Claire Indeed. We need to make room for the voices of new realities, and that is what we are trying to do at Human Futures. We want to help people tell stories about the future they want or want to avoid. Stories that are saturated in the reality of their aspirations always emerging in a future that never pauses. For those who say they see no room at the table, do what I do – bring a folding chair for as noted by the late great Hon. Shirley Chisholm, “You don’t make change by
standing on the sidelines whimpering and complaining. Here’s another thought also from Chisholm, “It is not female egotism to say that the future of mankind may very well be ours to determine. It is a fact. The warmth, gentleness, and compassion that are part of the female stereo-type are positive human values, values that are becoming more and more important as the values of our world begin to shatter and fall from our grasp. Ralph I would agree and to paraphrase Chisholm by saying we must reject not only the stereotypes people have of futurists but also the stereotypes futurists have of themselves. See you in the next issue of Human Futures.
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