Do You Think About the Future or the Past?

Posted byVanya Wryter ConsultingPosted inLifestyleTags:, , , , , , , ,
Daily writing prompt
Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?
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You can tell someone’s age by how much they think about the future or the past.

I’ve noticed that teenagers and people in their twenties talk about the future as if there is a lot of time ahead of them. They have post-secondary education goals, first career-related job discussions, and first romantic relationships. They ask questions such as: How do I start my career? How do I know if he likes me? How do I know if she’s my future spouse? Where should I travel? The world seems new and they want to try things out and explore it. Sometimes they act like they are invincible. They have memories of childhood, school, and first-time life experiences.

People who have reached middle age seem to talk equally about the future and the past. They realize they shouldn’t waste what time they have left. Either they are at the peak of their career and financial stability or they plan to get there soon. Their children are grown or will be grown. They are thinking about retirement plans. Fighting the aging process themselves while taking care of aging parents. Behind them, they have more memories and years than they did in their twenties. They remember friendships and romances that didn’t work out. They’ve been to weddings and funerals. They fondly remember what it was like to be young and invincible back when they didn’t hear of so many tragedies. Most importantly, they feel empowered by their life experience.

Seniors talk about the past a lot. They reminisce about how life used to be, how much things used to cost, and all the wonderful memories of the people they had known and the places they had been over the years. Their memories are like a finished book that they can open and read. They value the preciousness of time because the chances they had to accomplish what they could are mostly behind them. Seniors in their 90s and 100s value each additional morning because they don’t know how many more of them they have remaining.

So to return to the question, “Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past?” I think it depends on the individual, but certainly, your age affects how long the path stretches ahead of you and how far it goes behind you.

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153 thoughts on “Do You Think About the Future or the Past?”

  3. Great thoughts, great discussion. For some reason this reminds me of a dialogue the character Llewlyn Moss has in ‘No Country for Old Men’ – “You think … yesterday don’t count. But yesterday is all that does count. ” So, no you think little when your young about your future, but every decision you make in the past or present affects every point you arrive at in your future. You have to look back to understand how you got there.

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  21. “Their memories are like a finished book that they can open and read.”

    As I grow older, my life does seem like a story I can sometimes read to myself with fondness, and even reflection, as I look back on its pages. And, of course, there are also stories I can close the book on. So, there are several chapters in this volume of memories, some good, some bad, but it’s a great book, just the same.

    Excellent observation! Thanks for sharing.

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  41. We write about how we are a creation of the past and we live in cycles, rise, peak fall to sleep. Our days are in the present with the past always present and the future is what comes from the past. So, like good and bad, past and future, we are the difference, the arranger of it all. Thank you for your pondering of these questions. As a child, we felt a blend of all times, we felt timeless. As a teen-ager, we are ready for whats next. But without empathy, as we had as a child, the teen-ager will get lost in material and forget the timelessness. Let’s all help each other live in both material / time and spiritual / timelessness. Thanks!

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  46. I love your take!

    Teenager or student think about future. Like they want to do this and that.

    Seniors think about the life the had, they always compare it with present.

    Even people at middle age, work for future. 🤷🏻‍♂️
    So looks like very few are living present

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