Longpath by Ari Wallach Summary
Overview of Longpath
In "Longpath," futurist Ari Wallach challenges our short-term thinking with a transformative mindset viewed by 2.5 million TED viewers. Adam Grant calls it revolutionary - not just planning months ahead, but generations ahead. Your descendants are waiting. Are you ready to become their great ancestor?
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Key takeaways
Beyond the Crisis Treadmill: A New Way to View Time
Imagine waking up one day and realizing that your smallest decisions-from how you respond to your child's mistake to whether you recycle that plastic bottle-could impact thousands of people centuries from now. This isn't science fiction; it's the premise behind "Longpath," a revolutionary approach to decision-making in our chaotic times. We're living in what's called an "Intertidal period"-a dramatic transition phase where old systems are failing while new ones emerge. Like the oceanic zone where land meets water, the ground beneath our feet feels unstable as established institutions show signs of strain. Our brains evolved for short-term thinking-eating all available berries made sense for hunter-gatherers focused on immediate survival. But this evolutionary adaptation has become problematic in our complex modern world. We've built entire systems around this short-termism: quarterly earnings reports, two-year political cycles, and dopamine-driven social media feedback loops. We're trapped in "presentism"-a Hall of Mirrors version of the present where everything happens simultaneously with no history or future, amplified by 24/7 news cycles that collapse time into an endless now. What makes this moment unique is our unprecedented connectivity and technological capability. For the first time in human history, we possess both the ability to imagine and implement non-exploitive futures through global cooperation, and the capacity for collective self-destruction. The choice hinges on whether we can transcend our short-term, reactionary thinking.
The Three Pillars: Building a Bridge to the Future
The Emotional Foundation: Beyond Pure Rationality
Making the Future Tangible: Practical Approaches
Finding the Others: Collective Action for Collective Flourishing
The Examined, Desired Future: Questioning Our Assumptions
Becoming Great Ancestors: Our Responsibility to the Future
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"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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