long-termism
Planning for posterity
Long-termism is a philosophy or approach that prioritizes outcomes far into the future over immediate results.
In ethics and effective altruism, it holds that improving the long-term future—potentially affecting billions of future people—should be a moral priority: Long-termism argues we should care as much about people in 3000 AD as people today.
In business and policy, it simply means planning for years or decades ahead rather than next quarter's earnings.
Ability to anticipate futures
- planningArranging for future events
- visionAbility to see
- horizonApparent earth-sky meeting
- trajectoryPath of moving object
legacy · continuity · endurance · patience · persistence · compounding · investment · resilience
Capable of restoration
- conservationPreventing waste or loss
- carbon-neutralNet-zero emissions state
- decarbonizationEliminating fossil fuel emissions
- regenerativeAble to renew itself
How authority is exercised
- policyAdopted principle of action
- infrastructureBasic physical systems
- endowmentsDonated assets yielding income
- foundationsStructural bases below ground
trusts · constitutions · treaties · institutions · preservation · archives
Prioritizing function over beauty
- ethicsStudy of right conduct
- intergenerationalInvolving multiple age groups
- posterityFuture generations collectively
- humanityPeople as a whole
foresight
Ability to anticipate futures
trajectory · legacy · continuity · endurance · patience · persistence · compounding · investment · resilience · adaptability
renewable
Capable of restoration
- conservationPreventing waste or loss
- carbon-neutralNet-zero emissions state
- decarbonizationEliminating fossil fuel emissions
regenerative · stewardship · biodiversity · net-zero · future-proofing
governance
How authority is exercised
- policyAdopted principle of action
- infrastructureBasic physical systems
- endowmentsDonated assets yielding income
foundations · trusts · constitutions · treaties · institutions · preservation · archives
utilitarian
Prioritizing function over beauty
- ethicsStudy of right conduct
- intergenerationalInvolving multiple age groups
- posterityFuture generations collectively
long-termismshort-termism
Focus on immediate results
short-sightedness · myopia · presentism · shortsightedness · short-term thinking
determine, terminal, lengthy, prolonged, elongate, short-term, long-term, longevity, interminable