We don't need crystal balls to foretell our future — issue #28

For most of us, the future is a scary place. We're on a one-way ticket there, but we don't know where we're headed—or when we'll reach our station. It's unknowable by definition, and it's unnerving. I'll be the first to admit that I spend way too much time thinking about this. 

Of course,  we can make some good guesses—though that isn't always comforting. The sun will likely rise tomorrow (yay!). Singapore should get early afternoon showers for the rest of the year from the inter-monsoon period (depends; do you like rain?). I'll likely cook pasta for dinner (again).

And if global emissions do not plummet in the next decade...well, the IPCC has much to say about this. Essentially, we're toast. I've been reading The Future You, a book about the future written by a professional futurist (yep, that's a real job). In it, Brian David Johnson makes two important points:

1. Sensational stories about the future sell. Making people fear the "inevitable" is often great for business—but it can make people feel powerless to change that future.
2. We all play a part in producing the future we want—which means it isn't fixed.

Creating the future starts with what we tell ourselves about it. From myths and legends to the social media posts on your phone, stories anchor us in communities and conversations. Our actions only make sense when they're part of a tale.

It's why we often end our stories with calls to action, or challenge what might otherwise be a familiar story. Here at Kontinentalist, Asia is one of the world's great forces today, and the stories we tell now may very well become truths tomorrow.

Where do you think we're headed? Where do you want to go? Let us know—the world will only be richer for it.