Cathedral Thinking
Big problem requires big thinking. Often big projects and undertakings may not deliver results in one's lifetime. Is anyone looking beyond?
On 19th March 1882, the construction of Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família began in Barcelona. The Sagrada Familia is the longest construction project undertaken in modern times. It is expected to be completed by 2034.
While the 150 years it has taken for this project might seem like an exception, it is the rule. The Cologne Cathedral took 632 years, starting in 1248 and ending in 1880. The St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague took 585 years to finish starting in 1344 and ending in 1929. The Milan Cathedral took 579 years to build starting in 1386 and ending in 1965.
If you look at the history of church building almost all of them seem to have taken decades if not centuries. They were started without clarity about when they might be finished.
Greta Thunberg referred to this as Cathedral Thinking.
Cathedral Thinking involves pursuing ambitious goals, taking the long view and considering the benefit that would accrue to multiple generations rather than just one. They did not care for time or treasure that would be consumed in the pursuit. Sometimes the countries that embarked on the projects did not even exist by the time they were finished!
Most of these pursuits were undertaken because people had faith and belief. A commodity that is quite rare to find these days.
People used to live a lot less back then and life was not taken for granted.
The people making decisions today are all served by medicine that prolongs life, who want to accumulate all for themselves and expend their wealth on research that can make them live longer.
In the 20th century the only things instances where governments committed to Cathedral Thinking was when they had to launch phallic objects either into space or into other affairs.
How long will the Israeli genocide last; no idea. How much money will be spent; no idea. Will America support this whatever it takes - of course!
When capitalism was in trouble in 2020, vaccines were delivered in no time. But still, simple things like education, healthcare, and the protection of our environment are projected as if they are intractable problems. They are not.
The problem is that there is an inability to think beyond this quarter, this year, this term or the next election cycle.
It is no longer about what we are Giving to future generations but about what we are Taking right now. This kind of thinking has been the greatest undoing of mankind.
“Yes, the planet got destroyed. But for a beautiful moment in time, we created a lot of value for shareholders.”
Source: New Yorker