Imagination: There was a time when people looked to the future with wonder. Not fear, not dread — but wild possibility.
We don’t need imagination to look back to the late 40s, 50s, 60s — and those old retro-futurist visions. Flying cars. Undersea cities. High-speed trains, robot helpers, peaceful world fairs. Some of it was naive, sure. Some of it glossed over injustice. But underneath it all was this simple idea:
Tomorrow could be better.
From Hopeful Futures to Collapsing Worlds
Fast-forward to today… and something’s broken.
We imagine collapse more easily than community. Dystopias flood our screens. Governments gear up for militarisation. Billionaires build rockets to abandon ship — obsessed with becoming “multi-planetary” instead of fixing the planet we have.
The result?
We’ve lost the habit of imagining better futures. We can vividly picture disaster… but stumble when asked to describe a world we actually want to live in.
“If we can’t imagine better futures, we end up surrendering to broken systems.”
Why Imagination Still Matters
This isn’t just about climate change, or technology, or politics. It’s about imagination.
And right now, our collective imagination is in crisis. If you can’t imagine a better world, how do you build one? If the only futures we see are apocalyptic, no wonder we feel powerless, disconnected, numb.
But here’s the thing:
Every movement for justice, every great leap forward, every meaningful change… it all started because someone dared to imagine something different.
A Better Future Starts with Imagination
Maybe it’s time to remember that muscle.
To dream up futures where we thrive — not just survive. To make hope ordinary again. To tell stories that open doors, not close them.
The future doesn’t belong to corporations or governments or billionaires.
It belongs to those who can imagine it.
So… what do you imagine?
Tell me your thoughts, In the meantime, here is some interesting additional reading you might like:
- Why the rich world’s climate imagination is broken – Climate Home News
- Beautiful Trouble: Tools for Revolution
- The Imagination Infrastructure Project – Long Time Academy
FAQ’s
Why does imagination feel like it’s disappearing?
Many of us are stuck in survival mode, overwhelmed by crisis and distraction. Systems built on control and consumption discourage creative thinking—and it slowly erodes our ability to dream beyond them.
Why is imagination important in a time of collapse?
Imagination allows us to see beyond what is—to what could be. It helps us envision just, regenerative futures and build the emotional capacity to move toward them.
How can we reclaim our imagination?
By slowing down, questioning what we’ve normalized, and reconnecting with story, play, nature, and each other. Imagination is a practice—and like any muscle, it grows when we use it.
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