# The Perpetually Messiness of Right Now By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2023-06-18 There is a human tendency to look back or forward and think that things were better in the past or that things will be better in the future. Looking back or forward is, in part, an attempt to escape the perpetually messiness of right now. The present is challenging. There are problems, fears, and uncertainty. Dealing with these things is fatiguing. But all one ever has is the present. The past is gone. Even with all its promises, the future will be different right now when it arrives. For all the advancements the future present will still contain problems, fears, and uncertainty. This is good news for analysts, as they attempt to make sense of things and devise a strategy for dealing with these complexities effectively. The role of the analyst, as one who engages with the complexities of the current condition, will never be replaced. Sure, the technical aspects of the job will change. It might become increasingly efficient to collect and access data, and to execute analytic manipulations on that data. There will be less labor associated with the analytic tasks. Some analysts have fear and uncertainty about this. Others look back and wish they were at some golden age of analysis. The most effective analysts simply look at the current condition and find ways to determine what is going on, and what can be done. There will always be problems. There will always be uncertainty. There does not need to be fear. One can find joy and excitement in dealing with the perpetual messiness of right now. It is all we have. Facing this reality can enhance solidarity as we refuse to escape into the past or the future and instead work together to improve the present. #### Related Items [[Future]] [[Past]] [[Present]] [[Thinking]] [[Complexity]] [[Reality]]