By Richard Fleming, M.D., Benicia resident and author, Older But Wiser. November 9, 2026

It is natural to occasionally spend time thinking about the far future. What will be going on in the world. What will life look like many years from now. People of all ages indulge in such speculation. I think we are hard-wired to do so.

But looking into the crystal ball is a very different exercise for young folks than it is for us seniors.

Younger folks

When people are in their 20s, thinking about the future frequently revolves around personal, individual factors. They might muse about what they will be doing in 25 years, when they hope to be in the midst of work and family life. And they may at times wonder what life will be like in 50 years, when they anticipate being able to enjoy retirement. These kinds of ruminations can help inform decisions they are aiming to make in the here and now.

But such thinking about the distant future does not typically consume large amounts of time for most young people. They are busy living full and active lives. Dwelling on future events which are difficult to predict is not a compelling enterprise on which to spend time and energy. It is more useful to think about the near-term future, what will be happening in their lives next week or next month.

Older folks

For many in the silver generation, we also think about the future, but we approach it differently than the young. At least that is my impression. Our focus tends to be short-term. We wonder what will happen with our health over the next few years. Where will we be living. Will our finances hold out.

But it is not unusual for us to also think further down the road. Though I’m in my mid-70s, I still occasionally ponder what life will be like 25 or even 50 years from now. Why would I ruminate on such subjects? It is unlikely I will be alive in the year 2051 and it is a certainty I will be long gone when 2076 rolls around. I think about the distant future because I am concerned about the legacy we boomers and silent generation folks are leaving for the younger generations. What will life be like for Millenials, those in Generation Alpha, and the generations to follow?

My four grandchildren are all part of Gen Alpha, ranging in age from 2 to 16. I am lucky they live near enough that I see them frequently. Being a close part of their lives naturally makes me more attuned to what the future may hold for them as the 21st Century  unfolds. I want their lives to be safe, secure, rewarding, and fulfilling. But how likely is that? And how much control will their generation even have over the world and their lives as they reach adulthood and eventually grow old?

So when I think about the far future it is motivated primarily by my concerns for the young.

Worries about the future

What concerns me about the distant future are several things, each of which is right in front of our eyes.

First is global warming. No one can precisely predict what our planet’s climate will look like over the rest of the century and beyond, but current trend lines do not provide optimism. If temperatures keep increasing, life on earth will become increasingly challenging in many ways. From devastating weather events, to food supply shortages, to epidemics, to climate migration, to social unrest, the threats are serious.

Second is A.I. The risks from this technology are becoming more widely known. Not only is there the possibility A.I. could intervene in crucial processes that would disrupt humanity’s existence, there is also the prospect it could accelerate wealth inequality, enriching the tech bros while simultaneously throwing more and more people out of work.

Third are serious public health threats, especially the risk of catastrophic pandemics. The world’s experience fighting covid was mixed and ineffective in many ways. And the take-home messages in the aftermath of the pandemic raise concerns the response to future pandemics in many countries will be more political than scientific. Fighting a deadly global infectious illness works best if all countries cooperate to implement a scientific, evidence-based response, yet whether such an approach will actually be implemented seems questionable.

Fourth are risks of authoritarianism becoming dominant, not only in the U.S. but around the world. Authoritarianism often arises and establishes itself when society faces serious threats and instability, and we face these in spades. The November 3, 2026, midterms provided a good measure of reassurance that the U.S. will not lead a worldwide charge into autocracy, but the risks are not totally eliminated.

The future isn’t what it used to be

When I compare our grandchildrens’ future prospects to those we faced when we were young, I think we had it better. While our future carried uncertainties, they were not existential crises. Today we are bequeathing our grandkids a future far more fraught than the one our grandparents left to us.

It is not too late for us old folks to work to improve the prospects the younger generations are inheriting. Despite our years, or maybe because of them, many of us have enough expertise, knowledge, and time to work and advocate for a better future. And we have a responsibility to do so. We may have less stamina and energy than we did in the past, but our voices can still be heard. And our actions can still make waves. The fact we are advocating for changes that will not benefit us directly, but instead support the lives of the younger generations, can make our role more powerful.

Even though we won’t be living through the second half of this century, we owe it to the younger generation to do what we can to make their future better.

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………Dr. Richard Fleming’s
……….OLDER BUT WISER
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