Scarcity of attention is one thing. It is complemented by scarcity of
commitment. The digital world gives the illusion that everything is
possible and easy. In such a world, why bother to do anything?
Over the years I also noticed students getting ever more abstracted
into wishful thinking. They hugely underestimate research and
development. Proposals are filled with the word "just... ". On
realising that something is difficult, they recoil and abandon the
whole project.
Although the article talks about the hubris of planning over multiple
lifetimes, we have more serious and immediate problems of getting
people to plan over mere weeks or days. Everything seems to be making
that worse, "AI" in particular.
Take a look at would be start up founders and software projects. "I have a great idea, I just need it implemented", "I have a design done, I just need someone to make it work".
Over the years I also noticed students getting ever more abstracted into wishful thinking. They hugely underestimate research and development. Proposals are filled with the word "just... ". On realising that something is difficult, they recoil and abandon the whole project.
Although the article talks about the hubris of planning over multiple lifetimes, we have more serious and immediate problems of getting people to plan over mere weeks or days. Everything seems to be making that worse, "AI" in particular.