Anyone Who Fights for the Future, Lives in It Today

Activism, however modest, can improve your outlook on life.

Author and philosopher Ayn Rand ended the introduction to The Romantic Manifesto, her collection of essays on art, with “anyone who fights for the future, lives in it today." On first reading years ago, I found the phrase perplexing, and I stowed it away in memory as something that needed to be resolved at some point or another.

It wasn’t until much later that I began to grasp its meaning, after I had started writing and publishing articles promoting my vision for the future (which largely corresponds with Rand’s). I noticed that, however limited reach and impact my modest activism had, putting my thoughts to paper and making them publicly available, altered my mindset. From having previously occasionally felt despondent and helpless about the direction of the world, I was now less impacted by current events that seemingly purported the decline and fall of civilization as we know it. No, I hadn’t become immune to news about terrorist attacks, war, the spread of progressivism, religious fundamentalism and nihilism, the erosion of constitutional checks and balances, the chokehold of the regulatory state, etc., but I took them in stride.

The reason was that I now had an outlet. When the government responded to the COVID pandemic with crushing authoritarianism, I could share my thoughts on how pandemics would be managed in a future, free society; when same-sex marriage dominated the front pages, my separation-of-state-and-church angle offered a path to the future; when the abortion debate reached a fever pitch, I could let of steam by suggesting a bridge of the anti/pro divide; when Hamas committed its unspeakable atrocities, I had a vehicle for speaking up for Israel as a representative for Western civilization (here, here, here and here); and as sad as I found our options this past election, I was able explain that in a future capitalist society, elections will be of marginal importance. My writing became a therapeutical vehicle for channeling and connecting my thoughts and concerns about current events to the vision of where I wanted the world to be heading. As a result, my activism—my personal fight for the future—allowed me on some level, psychologically and emotionally, to live in that future today. I like how author Tal Gur’s expresses it:

[the phrase “lives in the future today”] emphasizes that the impact of one's actions aimed at shaping the future is not confined to some distant tomorrow but is palpable in the present moment. By actively working towards a better future, individuals immerse themselves in the values, aspirations, and possibilities that they envision for the world ahead.

If you feel like a powerless cog-in-the-wheel of societal machinations, give Ayn Rand’s insight some thought. Perhaps you too would benefit from fighting for the future to live in it today. It doesn’t have to take much time and effort. If you don’t know where to start, it may be as simple as supporting those who already fight for your values. As I write in “Think Right or Wrong, Not Left or Right: A 21^st Century Citizen Guide”:

Another way of spreading the morally Right message is to promote fellow moral crusaders who are professional activists, already established voices, or people who otherwise allocate more time to the cause than you are willing to do. With a relatively minor effort, you can like and share their writings, podcasts and interviews on social media, thereby increasing their following, and making them more noticed and promoted by the “algorithm.” And if you have the resources, don’t hesitate to support them financially.

If you find it appealing and that it contributes to a sunnier outlook on life, you can always kick it up another notch. And there’s no better time and place to start than right now, by clicking “Like” below.

Happy Activist New Year!