Are You Suffering from a Poverty of Reimagination?

A few years ago, I started thinking deeply about this idea of reimagination. Something felt off in the way we were designing the future. And then I came across a phrase that articulated it perfectly: the poverty of reimagination.

It named what I had been sensing, that we were becoming limited in how far we were willing to think beyond the present, constrained in how boldly we were prepared to imagine what could be.

When Our Imagination Becomes Poor

It feels as though we’ve become poor in our ability to think beyond where we are right now.

We scroll endlessly- Twitter, Facebook, CNN, YouTube. The narrative is almost always apocalyptic. The problems, collapse, and fear… Even shows like Black Mirror (which I’ve refused to watch) imprint a dark future that I have no interest in living inside.

We’re exposed to stories of ruthless leadership, environmental collapse, and the idea that we may have to escape to Mars because Earth has failed us.

When that is the dominant input, what do you think it does to our imagination?

It impoverishes it.

If all we consume is doom, our imagination begins to design a poor future.

How Can We Rethink Our Ability to Reimagine?

As part of reinventing myself this year, I started working with a new coach, Kevin Horsley, a Grand Master World Champion of Memory. In just a few sessions, he’s completely shifted my perspective.

He shared that much of our lives are shaped by memories, past or future, and how closely we bring them into our present decision-making.

If our future memories are built from doom-scrolling and fear-based narratives, then what exactly are we creating?

A poor future.

So we have to rethink our ability to reimagine.

We need to place front and center a new filter, a vision of a new world, a new possibility. When that becomes the anchor, we begin searching for evidence that aligns with it.

What is Sequencing and How Can it Help?

On my podcast, The Expansive, we discussed a concept called sequencing. The idea is simple but powerful: design the world you want first, then sequence backwards.

I was also in conversation with the Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies, where we explored this question: What are the short-term consequences of long-term thinking?

Most corporations are stuck asking the opposite: what are the long-term consequences of short-term thinking? And we’re living inside that outcome right now. Quarterly profits, monthly targets, survival mode, and addiction to immediacy.

But flip it. If I decide I want to become a triathlete, what happens next? I have to change my diet, train harder, and enter a new world as an amateur. I have to learn from scratch; it’s uncomfortable, and it’s daunting, but it begins with reimagining myself as a triathlete.

Think of it like mastering your moonshot.

Then I sequence backwards.

How Can We Practice Reimagination?

We must reimagine a better world, not just for ourselves, but for all of us.

And we have to do it consciously, especially while the noise of CNN, YouTube, and endless scrolling tries to anchor us in fear.

My practice is simple:

• Engage minimally with the news.

• Spend more time reimagining.

• Anchor your filters in that reimagination.

• Sequence backwards.

That’s what I’m practicing.

And I wish you real wealth, not financial wealth, but imaginative wealth, in your reimagination of what’s possible.

Key Takeaways

Our ability to imagine a better future has become impoverished due to constant exposure to negative, fear-based narratives.

To rethink our reimagination, we need to shift our focus to a new vision of a better world and search for evidence that aligns with it.

Sequencing, or designing the future first and then working backwards, can help us create a more positive and intentional path forward.

Practical tips for practicing reimagination include limiting negative news, actively reimagining, and sequencing backwards from your desired outcome.

FAQ

Q: What is the “poverty of reimagination”?

A: The “poverty of reimagination” refers to the idea that our ability to think beyond our current circumstances and imagine a better future has become impoverished or limited. This is often due to being constantly exposed to negative, fear-based narratives in the media and online.

Q: How can we rethink our ability to reimagine?

A: To rethink our ability to reimagine, we need to consciously shift our focus away from doom-scrolling and fear-based narratives. Instead, we should place a new vision of a better world at the center of our attention and search for evidence that aligns with that vision.

Q: What is the concept of “sequencing” and how can it help?

A: Sequencing is the idea of first designing the world you want, and then sequencing backwards to figure out the steps to get there. This flips the typical short-term thinking approach and encourages us to start with a long-term vision and work backwards.

Note: This blog post is an adaptation of the transcript from the video below.