Memoirs Q45: What are the Biggest Challenges you foresee for Future Generations?

WOW... this is definitely a great question. Firstly, am I qualified to answer this? I'm not a futurist, or at least I don't see myself as one. But I'm not coping out either. Let me chew on this a while, though.

In a world where people can seemingly get all the answers, services and products they need at the tip of their fingertips via the Internet and the countless websites adhering to a business that caters to such needs, what would the future generations need to have? First would have to be 'Critical Thnking'. Why? Simple... one can get innundated by so many information - the real test now would have to first be sifting fact from fiction or opinions. For example, if one weree to doa search for something generally accepted in culture, say an explanation of the Virgin Mary... how many of the sites and given enteied could be considered canonical to Catholic beliefs? How many would be considered untruths? Misrepresentations? The problem here is there may be a dearth of factual information - so what fo we accept and believe?

Having the skills for Critical Thinking may not give you all the answers - but they can at least remove the untruths and let you end up with acceptable choices. They train you to ask 'why?', 'how?' and sift through untruths, biases, and other misinformation. It helps you sift through what can be false, what can be considered possible... what are probable truths, if not downright facts. Of course, in this particular example, you'd still have to weigh in faith. Accepting the answers now becomes a test of what you will accept. But at least, having critical thinking will help you sort through things. In an Internet filled with so many entries, opinions and downright fraudulent 'facts', they will need to know how to sift through the garbage.

Next? Patience. Given that tehy can have near instant access to so many things, waiting may be something they will not have to endure. But the thing is 'waiting' may make things better in some instances. Waiting for a cake to be baked, for example - or the creation of a Micheline Star dish... these may be worth the wait. Similarly, not everyone is always ready with an answer to everything. It may take a few moments - and maybe more, to get accurate information, or give the better opinion. The future generations need to cultive the art of waiting and patience.

Lastly, just to limit this to three... the 'Human touch'. This covers people facing skills. Talking or communicating clearly, showing empathy, and maybe sharing a lesson or an idea... the art of convincing others of your ideas. After all, people will still need to deal with each other.