time warp

Meghan Sullivan, a philosopher at the University of Notre Dame, contemplates these questions in her book “

Time Biases: A Theory of Rational Planning and Personal Persistence

.”

For Sullivan, all of these time biases are mistakes. She advocates for temporal neutrality—a habit of mind that gives the past, the present, and the future equal weight.

Others complain that we are too focussed on the past, or with the sentimental reconstruction of it. Past, present, future; history, this year, the decades to come. How should we balance them in our minds?

But, if their inaction is a betrayal, it’s most likely not a malicious one; it’s just that our current pleasures and predicaments are much more salient in our minds than the fates of our descendants.

It’s important to find a proper balance between being in the moment and stepping out of it. We all know people who live too much in the past or worry too much about the future. At the end of their lives, people often regret most their failures to act, stemming from unrealistic worries about consequences. Others, indifferent to the future or... See more

As humans, we're evolutionarily wired to prioritize short-term gain. Hunter gatherers had no use for five-year plans, and those instincts are still within us. Combine that with our current economic system, ad-driven business models, and algorithmic social media platforms, all of which visibly reward cynical short-term games, and you've got the... See more

Beyond cultural exports like anime and sushi, young people are drawn to Japan’s civility and social order, viewing it as “living in the future” with its technological innovations and clean, safe cities. They’re seeking the country for “comfort, safety, and civility” that White says Americans “lack deeply now.”

ow rise jeans, Y2K/90's fashion, Mary Jane's, and L.L. Bean tote bags are all more than trends, they’re practically a time machine. It’s in the way we’re reviving vinyl records, CD’s, and yes — old-school cameras. And it’s in the cultural moments we’re rediscovering. This year, Gen Z freaked out when Sex and The City landed on Netflix, sparking a... See more

Gen Z is in love with a past we can hardly remember.Grappling with contradictions, we yearn for the simplicity of the past as we barrel into a chaotic future.