Shaping Tomorrow: The Creative Act Behind the Future
Created at: June 17, 2025
The future is not a result of choices among alternative paths offered by the present, but a place that is created. — John Schaar
Beyond Passive Choices
John Schaar’s insight challenges the conventional notion that the future is simply a byproduct of picking from existing options. Instead of viewing the present as a static menu of paths, he urges us to see ourselves as creative forces actively designing what is to come. This reframing shifts personal and societal responsibility from mere decision-making to proactive creation.
Historical Shifts in Destiny
Traditionally, many cultures believed destiny was predetermined or limited by current circumstances. However, ideological movements like the Enlightenment rejected fatalism. Thinkers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau argued humans were capable of shaping their society through collective ingenuity. Schaar’s statement echoes this lineage, advocating the future as an open domain sculpted by ingenuity and willpower.
Innovation as Future-Making
Taking this idea further, the rapid advances of the 20th and 21st centuries exemplify Schaar’s message. The internet, space exploration, and renewable energy solutions were not simply logical continuations of old paths, but creative leaps. Visionaries such as Elon Musk or Ada Lovelace saw opportunities not present until they were imagined—demonstrating that the future’s boundaries are defined only by our creative reach.
Individual and Collective Agency
Transitioning from the grand scale to the personal, Schaar’s philosophy underscores the power of agency. Each person's choices—whether starting a movement, inventing technology, or forging new relationships—participate in the construction of society’s shared tomorrow. The future thus becomes a mosaic, pieced together by millions of creative acts rather than a single fork in the road.
Responsibility in Future Creation
Ultimately, viewing the future as a place 'created' imbues each of us with profound responsibility. Instead of waiting for opportunities, we are called to envision and build the realities we seek—echoing Gandhi’s call to 'be the change you wish to see in the world.' Thus, Schaar’s reflection does not promote passivity or resignation, but instead invites active participation in the ongoing work of shaping our shared destiny.