What Exactly is A Futurist?

A Self-Aware Humanity

What exactly is a futurist? Well, some of us are simply curious visionaries, exploring tomorrow’s potential with open hearts. Because we know that our human spirit is stronger than we were told.

Being a futurist is about more than holding a catchy title; it’s about playing a distinct role in understanding patterns at the edges of society. Many futurists aim to decode these patterns mainly through the lens of emerging technological trends.

My focus expands further. I center on the potential of humanity, reminding us that we are not passive onlookers but powerful creators, of an emerging, healthier world.

Traditional futurists spot trends and technologies on the sidelines and see how they’ll take center stage tomorrow. Some futurists try to bring in a new world that is not healthy for us. Here is a recent prediction that does not sit well with me.

“As this world becomes more contradictory, more difficult, more haves and have-nots, more unfair, you’re going to want to spend a lot more time in a prettier place, not in real life,” predicts a celebrated futurist. Yes, this is one option. But it is incredibly toxic. Not all futurists focus on our human potential and spirit.

The vision of retreating into a “prettier place” as the world becomes “more…