After yesterdays post looking at the lack for deferred gratification today I want to look at hope.

Several years ago I wrote a short post on Hope as Heaven, and thinking about the lack of deferred gratification I was reminded of it, as for people to choose to defer they must have hope in the future.  It then struck me that I think that over the years hope has become less common.  It might be that this is related to a fall off in religion, however, for the majority of the population I believe that things are no longer getting better for most of the population.  If your “religion” is consumerism then with the loss of hope comes the despair of live now pay later.

This short termism not only affects individuals, but also business and politics, with businesses under pressure to deliver profits this quarter, even at the cost of profits next quarter, let alone next year or next decade.  In politics, if the electorate aren’t worried about 10 years time then why should you be?  Do what gets you elected today.

I believe that it is this which affects decisions on climate change (among other things) – it is tomorrows problem, and if you have no hope for tomorrow why not eat drink and be merry?  (This is how the Bible answers that).