# Focusing on the Wrong Moment in Time By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2024-02-28 An innate desire of humanity is to know the future. It is revered even more in Western cultures because many believe humanity must progress for the "better." The idea of progression implies there is a past, present, and future. To know if one is progressing, one must see the past, assess the present, and forecast where things are going in the future. If the forecast looks "positive," we have progress. If the forecast is "negative" or "unchanged," we do not have progress and are failing society and our purpose. Many are unconsciously obsessed with the future and whether it is positive or negative based on this Western societal norm. When looking at analytics, one will find that many organizations are equally obsessed with the future. They want predictions concerning progress to the point that they care little about the present or the past. These organizations and executives only begrudgingly accept that to provide predictions, the analysts must take time to know the past and present. But what is the value of all this work toward predicting the future? Simplistically, if one can predict the future, one has the upper hand. However, the future is more complex. For example, we can make pretty accurate predictions about who will win a game, but these predictions are never perfect. There is always a chance that the underdog wins. While this creates anxiety for those invested in the game (e.g., players, coaches, fans, etc.), it also makes the game worth playing. If we knew exactly the outcome, the game wouldn't be played. It ceases to be interesting, and all the anxiety and hope vanishes. All involved quickly lose interest and focus on the next thing to be anxious about. In other words, uncertainty makes games worth playing. Organizations, markets, and society are just different forms of games. There are rules, winners, losers, and loads of uncertainty and luck. So, if one knows the organization's future perfectly, is it worth participating? Many will say yes. After all, one could make a fortune in the stock market. But, eventually, one will become disinterested and immediately find the next thing creating anxiety in one's life. This is the curse of being aware of the concept of the future. It creates endless anxiety, and no amount of accurate predictions will ever satisfy humanity's thirst. So, why forecast the future? It may eliminate some anxiety only to be replaced by another. It's all a rather silly game with dire outcomes. There are always alternatives, such as spending more time understanding the present and not worrying about predicting the future. Good analysts try to predict the future. Great analysts try to understand the present and help others live in the moment. #### Related Items [[Future]] [[Present]] [[Past]] [[Time]] [[Organization]] [[Analytics]] [[Society]] [[Predictive Analytics]]