There’s a rule popularized by the author Stephen Covey: begin with the end in mind. Know where you’re headed before you take the first step. It’s common sense in a boardroom, and almost unheard of in the halls of political power.
Political groups, parties, and activists do have end goals, of course. But those goals tend to be short-term and narrow — economic, programmatic, or electoral. Policies are too often shaped by what it takes to survive the next election cycle rather than by the kind of society we want to hand to our grandchildren’s grandchildren.
I don’t believe this long-term thinking is as hard as it sounds. Pause and imagine the world you hope today’s choices will produce for future generations. Don’t start with a specific bill, program, or headline. Ask instead: What traits and capacities do we most want our descendants to inherit from us?
Here is my list. See how it sits with you:
Love: The active, unselfish interest in and affection for other people and their well-being — no…
