Everything used to be better. Even the Future.
How Nostalgic Futures can help to shape a more comprehensive and inclusive tomorrow.
I have this memory. Of my grandmother and me planting potatoes in our gigantic vegetable garden. While doing that, my grandmother would tell me stories of her childhood, youth, and years of war.
I am very fond of this memory, it takes me back to a time in my life when the world was mere wonder, wars were things of the past, and everything ahead of me was vast possibilities.
When I myself became a mom, I would see my children with my mother, planting things in the garden, listening to my mom telling them stories about times without the internet, Netflix, and fresh pineapples.
And my children would, just as I did see the wonders of our times, and look positively into the futures seeing nothing but endless possibilities.
Well, thing is — we don’t have a vegetable garden.
Nostalgic futures — an odd couple
At first look, some might think that nostalgia and futures are not going together.
Nostalgia, this bittersweet emotion of a sentimental longing for a past. A deep sense of fondness for a time of one’s life, which looks nothing but good in hindsight. But regardless of how much we want to go to this exact spot again — we cannot reach it.
It is knowing exactly where you want to go, yet you are moving further away, like trying to reach a horizon that is forever reciding.
Nostalgia is the Utopia of the past.
Futures on the other side, all possibilities. So much possibility that we freeze in panic, and often just put on the blinds looking into the future as an extrapolation of the past, because everything else just seems frightening.
Future is not knowing where you are going, but a never stopping force pushing you there.
Depending on your personal setup, surrounding, and many factors, future can be a Utopia or a Dystopia, or something in between.
Does that mean that we recreate the past when we speak about Nostalgic Futures? We want to turn around the wheel of time and go backwards to where everything was supposedly better.
On the contrary — if done right using Nostalgic Futures can create a vision of tomorrow, that is more usable and engaging than Utopia or Dystopia.
Combining Nostalgia with Futures can show us a possible direction to Protopia.
Protopia — a vision that isn’t one
Futures work needs to be grounded in the here and now. Mere visioning, scenario building, or speculating about what's next, is a nice mind-widening task, but does not lead to a change in direction or a transformation of the how.
Futures work needs to inspire and build a sense of agency with the futures, provide a sense of purpose, inspiration, and the foundation of positive values and principles to guide development.
Utopian or dystopian futures have the innate flaw, that in our complex uncertain times, they seem to be completely detached from the daily reality of most people.
Either they are scaring people into a lasting freeze state, putting their heads into the sands (staring at whatever screen would probably the adequate version of the ’20s), or not connecting to the world around them because they lost all the agency.
Or they are all too positive, leaving people suspicious, generating in people a left behind feeling, a future they are excluded from because their day-to-day life is not at all feeling that way.
Detached futures work leads to the frustration that everything is possible — but nothing can be done.
Yet, we are still human and need to belong, participate, contribute and connect.
Protopia, a term coined by futurist Kevin Kelly, offers an alternative to seemingly outdated concepts. It refers to a future that is better than the present, but not necessarily a utopia. It emphasizes ongoing progress and improvement rather than achieving a perfect static state.
Protopia is not a destination — it is a direction.
Nostalgic futures can be used as a compass to lead us there.
The past can make the future more present
Nostalgic futures embrace the complex human experience of our world. They are not about recreating the past or regressing to the yesteryears but rather incorporating the best elements of the past into our forward-thinking ideas.
It is an exploration of how the traditions, aesthetics, and values of bygone eras can inspire and influence the creation of a better tomorrow.
Taking into consideration that humanity always sought to preserve and celebrate their cultural heritage, this should not come as a surprise.
By reflecting on what worked well in earlier times, nostalgic futures can incorporate these lessons into current practices, fostering progress and continuous improvement toward a better future. Using nostalgic futures we explore the integration of time-tested wisdom and philosophies into contemporary problem-solving and decision-making.
Many ancient cultures and civilizations possessed valuable insights about the human condition and the natural world. On our accelerated trip to a western-world-shaped tech-driven Utopia, we failed to incorporate some of that collective wisdom.
By drawing from this collective wisdom source, we can develop innovative solutions to the challenges we face today.
Integrating traditional practices like mindfulness, meditation, and holistic approaches to health and well-being can enhance our mental and physical resilience in the face of an ever-changing landscape.
Nostalgia connects people with their cultural heritage and roots, providing a sense of purpose and identity. By grounding future aspirations in the values and traditions that have stood the test of time, societies can work towards a shared vision and direction.
By evoking positive emotions, like a sense of comfort and security, through using nostalgic elements, we can cultivate a culture of emotional resilience.
Emotional resilience is essential to navigate challenges and setbacks with a positive outlook, enabling us to persistently work towards a better future.
Nostalgic futures can contribute to the realization of a Protopian future, by providing a strong foundation of positive values, purpose, and inspiration.
Does that mean incorporating our past in our future, is the answer to all the challenges out there and the ones to come?
As it often goes — the dose makes the poison.
The perfect past is based on bad memory
Building with and on nostalgic futures is a walk on the high rope. The outcome can be spectacular or spectacularly painful.
While nostalgia as outlined can be a powerful source of inspiration and creativity, it can also present several potential dangers.
Relying too heavily on nostalgic elements can shift decision-making from objective analysis to subjective emotions tied to the past. This is a major thread on incorporating yet another bias into our look into the futures.
A high level of awareness is needed, to avoid using idealized pictures of the past instead of facts and figures for decision-making.
Embracing nostalgic futures may also hinder the ability to adapt to new technologies and market trends resulting in a resistance to change, when the desire to preserve the past impedes the exploration of innovative opportunities.
Placing too much emphasis on the past also might result in overlooking opportunities, innovations, and solutions, a phenomenon we are too familiar with already in futures work. We have to focus on keeping the widest mindset possible, in order to see new signals of change and emerging patterns.
And nostalgia can lead to romanticizing the past without acknowledging its historical context, including the challenges and complexities of that era. Ignoring these nuances may result in unrealistic expectations regarding possible futures.
Nothing was that complicated in the past, you might say. Well, are you really sure about that?
The roots and the crown
Where does that leave us?
Nostalgic futures can be both — a threat and an opportunity in futures work. It is crucial to be aware of biases that come with Nostalgia and employ a balanced approach that leverages the positive aspects while remaining open to the possibilities of the future.
When you look at a tree, you also have to consider the roots as well as the crown. Strong roots bring resilience and help a tree grow further and resist the inevitable storm.
But emphasizing too much on the roots, neglecting where the tree wants to grow, can limit that growth and prevent the tree from unfolding its full potential.
It seems to be complex but in reality, it is rather simple — for centuries humanity was able to grow trees to their full potential.
All it needs is a connection — to oneself, to the people around you, and to nature.
By the way, while we do not have a vegetable garden, to plant with my children, we do have an apple tree. And as the saying goes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
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