“Sometimes when we take a break, we may find that solutions then present themselves.” – Catherine Pulsifer
I’m back! Did you miss me?
I took a break from the blog for a few reasons: I’ve had a couple of moves, I started a new job that I love[1], I’ve run my usual January marathon, I caught my post-race crud with the COVID remix, all while taking care of my two dogs, helping out my family and friends in various ways, and continuing to read more about the world, the industry in which I now work, and the panic over the pandemic.
I’m exhausted.
When we’re in the midst of events that tend to be polarizing, such as an election year or a pandemic, or even a heated disagreement about what belongs on pizza[2], it can start to feel like a slog to go through articles to search for trends, as emotion tends to take over the writing. At that point, whether bombarded by positivity or negativity, one tends to feel like an explorer in the rainforest with a machete trying to discover the golden truth of what is going on in the world.
This is why breaks are needed, especially in the form of what I dub “palate cleansers.” For those unfamiliar, a palate cleanser is a dish or drink of a neutral flavor that is used to remove the flavors of a previous dish (usually a strong-tasting food or drink, like wine) so that one can accurately assess the flavors of the next dish[3]. If you’ve ever seen Hell’s Kitchen, it’s why Gordon Ramsay takes a sip of water after tasting a chef’s dish before moving to the next dish. Without a palate cleanser, the flavors of the first dish, especially if they’re pungent, will overpower the next dish unfairly.
Being bombarded in particularly turbulent or jubilant times can unfairly cloud the futurist’s ability to accurately tell what the trend is. For example, society sees someone being successful with an invention or innovation. Immediately, the idea is that this is the way to make money and be someone. So the market is flooded with this positive thought that this is everyone’s shot to make money. The negative elements are ignored because of this deified idea that this is the path to success. Article after article comes out saying that “This is the way because so-and-so did this,” and “So-and-so is successful because they never sleep and eat only one banana a day – here’s how you can achieve such greatness.[4]” Meanwhile, trying to determine if this is only a flash in the pan or a legitimate societal evolution with rippling impacts on all facets of society becomes an overwhelming task.
This is where the palate cleanser comes in. For me, it’s watching Cheers or Frasier. I step back from all my futurist-ing, and watch something neutral that I know will make me laugh and stop way overanalyzing things. And sometimes, in the middle of watching something I consider neutral, I come up with an idea that cuts through the noise and gives me a needed boost to get back to studying trends and patterns.
Part of the problem with continuing to analyze trends when you’re overwhelmed with noise is that your scans are even more influenced by emotion than they already are. For example, I’ve been looking at trends related to NFTs[5], and regardless of my thoughts on the topic, the trends exist outside of my emotions. If I happen to be overwhelmed and angry one day, any trends I identify surrounding NFTs could be shrouded in negativity[6], which doesn’t serve anyone well, least of all me. Likewise, if I’m researching trends on baking[7], and I have a day that is overly filled with positivity, I could falsely equate baking trends with positivity, as in thinking “Baking is going to change THE WORLD[8].” And while it possibly could, proclaiming it as a fact rather than a trend doesn’t help the situation.
We all need breaks from areas of intense focus, whether we want to take the break or not. It’s like eating chocolate or going to the gym – too much means too bad for us in the end. So sometimes, the athlete should have a chocolate bar. Or the chocoholic should eat a salad[9]. I know personally, especially when trying to look for trends in my current occupational space, if I feel overwhelmed already about cybersecurity, I’m going to paint everything with a highly critical lens, which to some degree is okay, but when everything gets shot down or labeled as “the end of the world,” then am I really doing my duty as a futurist?
Now, it’s important to note that being a futurist (or being a human, for that matter) does not mean we look at everything objectively. We can’t. And even if we wanted to, we tend to color our perspectives based on our experiences, likes, dislikes, and whatever else is part of the human jumble of experience. And frankly, because it is our emotions and likes and dislikes and what have you that move us forward into all trends, patterns, and scenarios, having a futurist who digs into their emotions[10] to determine how trends and patterns fit into the grander scenarios is something one should look for first when hiring someone.
It’s time to prioritize taking a step away so we can be emotionally savvy when determining our scenarios. Grab your palette cleansers, whether they be TV shows, new hobbies, or even a sports event. Use the time to get yourself centered and back into the futurist game.
Gotta go – I’m watching Avengers: Infinity War for the first time. It’s got a happy ending, right? Right? Hey, where are you going[11]?
[1] Yes, work is aware of this blog, and this is not a kiss-up, thank you.
[2] Team Pineapple FTW.
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palate_cleanser
[4] I have so many articles bookmarked about “sleeping patterns of CEOs” and the like. Don’t judge.
[5] Non-Fungible Tokens
[6] Like a villain. Or a moody teen.
[7] I love me some Great British Bake-Off.
[8] Which it will. But that’s beside the point.
[9] Or in my case, it’s get more sleep and eat more sushi. Priorities.
[10] Intelligently. I cannot emphasize this enough.
[11] Tune in tomorrow to find Kim sobbing into her pillowcase.
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