For better or for worse, living for the future instead of in the present is a prominent way of living in American culture. Often we choose or are encouraged to make sacrifices in our present realities to ensure future security. Sometimes this strategy is productive. For example, applying restraint or discipline in areas such as spending or eating habits can surely be beneficial. However, leveraging the present for the future can have detrimental consequences when it comes to other aspects of how we live our lives. I believe that when the value of living for the future rather than in the present is tangled with our culture’s strong beliefs and attitudes toward productivity, success, and self-reliance, it becomes toxic and counterproductive. Many of these consequences affect us personally and societally in the areas of health and well-being.
In general, I find that we are encouraged if not required to put our needs for rest, personal growth, quality childhood development, work-life balance, good nutrition, etc. secondary to the demands of being a productive citizen. When putting work first and foremost is praised and expected, taking care in the moment to preserve our health is not a consideration. We are asked to burn the candle at both ends without concern for the consequences. We excuse and accept this deal with the assurance that it will be made better in the future. A “fix it when it’s broken” mentality is assumed. I believe this is characteristic of the focus on health and well-being in general in the United States. Often it seems to be aimed at treatment and crisis management rather than at creating and supporting conditions for a healthy life in the present.
I believe that this attitude is not unique to America, but common throughout Western culture. So, when imagining how someone outside of the U.S. might view this tendency I would assume that some might relate to the effects and struggles of this reality, and possibly be similarly critical. Others who live in countries or cultures that prioritize living in, and taking care in the present may view our practices as short-sighted, naive, harsh, contradictory, and/or sad. They might possibly view these actual or imposed values through a cynical lens, questioning who really benefits from the sacrifices made.
As a product of Western, American culture I am aware of its pressures and am subject to its demands. Am I guilty of living this way? Is it voluntary or requisite? This exercise has helped me to think about these questions and new ones as I begin my semester abroad. I wonder if this new culture will have the same attitude? I am concerned that living as a tourist, I might have conflict between wanting to be fully in the present moment, enjoying the sights, sounds, and people, and savoring the experience fully but yet still feeling compelled to be thinking about what else I should be doing for the future. When settling into my new living environment and adjusting to my new home I hope this exercise will help me to be more cognizant of and appreciative of the change of pace and will remind me to take care of myself in the moment.
