Ari Wallach: Create Your Ideal Future Using Science-Based Protocols

In this episode, my guest is Ari Wallach, most recently an adjunct associate professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and host of a new TV series titled A Brief History of the Future. We discuss the importance of learning to project our understanding of ourselves and our goals into the future, both for our own sake and for future generations. We also explore how this fosters a sense of unity and community within our species.

We examine how technology and modern society influence our perception of time and our ability to make decisions in a fast-paced, reward-driven environment that leads to our best possible future. Additionally, we discuss how the dismantling of traditional institutions has altered people's sense of purpose. We outline protocols to cultivate long-term thinking, connect with core values, and define a deep sense of purpose. This episode provides listeners with actionable tools to merge short- and long-term thinking in ways that create a positive, lasting impact on ourselves, society, and the planet.

Articles

• The somatic marker hypothesis and the possible functions of the prefrontal cortex (Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B)
• Alleviating Social Pain: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Forgiveness and Acetaminophen (Annals of Behavioral Medicine)
• Saving for the future self: Neural measures of future self-continuity predict temporal discounting (Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience)

Books

• Homo Prospectus
• A Fighter's Heart: One Man's Journey Through the World of Fighting
• Steve Jobs
• The Denial of Death

Other Resources

• The elephant and the rider (Jonathan Haidt on the Tom Woods podcast)
• Steve Jobs, 2005 Stanford commencement address
• Randy Pausch, Last Lecture
• Brené Brown,The power of vulnerability
• Episode 3, Once Upon a Time (A Brief History of the Future)
• Asatoma sadgamaya
• Your Life in Weeks
• Alua Arthur (death doula, TED talk)
• Death Meditation (Alua Arthur)
• AI Age Filter
• AgingBooth
• Future Self
• Reface
• Longpath’s Dear FutureMe!
• Ryan Holiday, Is dropping out of college throwing your life away? (Big Think)
• Kevin Kelly, Stop chasing utopia. Create “protopia” instead. (Big Think)

Huberman Lab Episodes Mentioned

• Dr. Jonathan Haidt: How Smartphones & Social Media Impact Mental Health & the Realistic Solutions
• Dr. James Hollis: How to Find Your True Purpose & Create Your Best Life
• Dr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
• How to Improve Oral Health & Its Critical Role in Brain & Body Health
• Dr. Wendy Suzuki: Boost Attention & Memory with Science-Based Tools

People Mentioned

• Martin E.P. Seligman: Professor of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania
• Yaacov Trope: Professor of Psychology, New York University
• Martha Beck: author, life coach, sociologist
• Hal Herschfield: Professor of Marketing and Behavioral Decision Making, University of California Los Angeles
• Susan Blackmore: Psychologist, Visiting Professor, University of Plymouth