Becoming a Good Ancestor

Becoming a Good Ancestor

Journeys Towards a Deeper Sense of Time

Expand your time horizons in this course with philosopher and bestselling author, Roman Krznaric, where you’ll explore key ideas like deep time, intergenerational justice, legacy mindset, and cathedral thinking—plus practical tools to apply them in your life, work, and activism. A clear roadmap for anyone ready to become a better ancestor.

Taught by Roman Krznaric

Course modules

Envisioning Your Legacy

In this opening module we begin exploring what it means to be a good ancestor. We look into the factors that drive the chronic short-termism that defines so much of contemporary culture and the impacts that the ‘tyranny of the now’ is having on our personal lives and planetary home.

The Art of Mental Time Travel

The module starts with the distinction between our short-term ‘marshmallow brain’ and our longer-term ‘acorn brain’. We map out our personal time horizons and then delve into the topic of ‘deep time humility’ – how we can envision our own lives as just an eyeblink in the cosmic story.

Responsibility to Tomorrow’s World

How can we develop a sense of responsibility across the generations? That’s the question behind this third module, which begins with a deep dive into the concept of intergenerational justice from the perspectives of contemporary philosophy and indigenous wisdom.

Creating a Time Rebellion

There is an emerging global movement of ‘time rebels’ dedicated to good ancestry. In this module we meet them, from writers and artists who are recalibrating our culture towards a longer now, to activists who are trying to create a deeper form of democracy.

Expanding Your Empathic Imagination

The capacity to step into the shoes of others and see the world from their perspective is at the heart of becoming a good ancestor. In this module we explore the habits of highly empathic people, drawing on Roman’s experiences as a leading thinker in this field and founder of the world’s first Empathy Muse...

Discovering Hope in History

Throughout we find inspiration in the profound Māori proverb, ‘I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on the past’. In this final module we cast our gaze backwards, finding hope in the actions of our ancestors who have overcome crises, tackled injustices and built cities and civilisations.

Live Conversations

A conversation to meet with your teacher and peers!

A conversation to meet with your teacher and peers!

Course information

What legacies should we leave to the generations to come?

How can we expand our imaginations to nurture a deeper sense of connection with people and planet across the landscapes of time? What inspiration can we find in indigenous cultures and philosophies for respecting our ancestors and being remembered well by the generations of tomorrow?

These are the kinds of questions that will be explored in this engaging, mind-expanding course, which centres around the fundamental and profound issue of how we can become good ancestors.

We stand at a pivot point in the human story that calls for longer-term thinking and intergenerational responsibility.

We live in an age dominated by the tyranny of the now – our politicians can barely see beyond the next election, businesses respond to the latest quarterly report and as individuals we are often busy scrolling on our phones and clicking the ‘buy now’ button. This is the time to develop a longer sense of ‘now’ to help tackle multiple challenges on the horizon, from the climate emergency to risks from AI and deeping inequalities.

The course revolves around ideas and practices developed by social philosopher Roman Krznaric in his internationally bestselling book The Good Ancestor: How to Think Long Term in a Short-Term World. Roman will explore six fundamental ways we can expand our time horizons, drawing on everything from indigenous wisdom on ‘seventh-generation’ decision-making and cyclical notions of time, to cutting-edge neuroscience on the human capacity to imagine beyond the here and now. Core concepts that will be covered include:

  • Deep-Time Humility
  • Legacy Mindset
  • Intergenerational Justice
  • Cathedral Thinking
  • Holistic Forecasting
  • Transcendent Goals

The course then looks at how these ideas can be implemented in our personal lives and also more broadly in cultural life, political organisation and to help construct the ecological civilisation we need. Along the way, Roman will additionally be delving into why developing our empathic imaginations is a fundamental element of being a good ancestor, and the importance of thinking historically into the deep past as well as into the deep future.

This is a course for anyone who cares about their legacy to the future, and who is looking for inspiration that a different and better world is possible. Join this course to take an imaginative journey of hope through time itself and into the heart of good ancestry.

Course Includes

6 modules of pre-recorded lessons
Live conversations with the teacher
Transcriptions
Additional readings and resources
Community discussion

Teachers

Roman Krznaric Picture

Roman Krznaric is a social philosopher who writes about the power of ideas to create change. His internationally bestselling books, including The Good Ancestor, Empathy and Carpe Diem Regained, have been published in more than 25 languages.

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What You'll Learn

  • Tools to expand your long-term thinking beyond short-term habits and distractions.
  • A clear framework for legacy-building, rooted in values, responsibility, and action.
  • Practical methods for mental time travel to shift perspective from the present to the deep future.
  • Strategies for intergenerational decision-making, inspired by indigenous wisdom and ethics.
  • Insights into “cathedral thinking”—how to design projects that outlast your lifetime.
  • Ways to apply empathy and imagination to strengthen your role as a future ancestor.
  • A renewed sense of hope and agency to act meaningfully in a time of global crises.