Ross Douthat in The New York Times (April 19, 2025)
A regular columnist for NYT, Ross Douthat often provides interesting takes on the present moment. In this case, he’s anticipating a dramatically different future, based on the current trajectory of our society. From our educational malaise to the decline of institutions to the digital deluge washing over us daily, Douthat predicts that “existence at a human scale [will] seem obsolete.”
Yet, this is no Chicken Little crying of the sky’s collapse, but an exhortation to identify and commit to those aspect of culture that are worth preserving in the form of a living legacy. From family to art forms to religion, all the important aspects of our lives will need reconsideration and intentional revitalization.
Douthat concludes with a multi-faceted admonition to pursue those beautiful ends which are most valuable because they are the most human. “Have the child. Practice the religion. Found the school. Support the local theater, the museum, the opera or concert hall, even if you can see it all on YouTube…” Thus, concludes Douthat, can we make our future more than a matter of survival. We can learn afresh to flourish.
