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Future generations can't speak up for themselves — how we can advocate for them today

Part 4 of the TED Radio Hour episode Future You.

With today's insatiable wants, it's easy to forget that we borrow the earth from future generations. Philosopher Roman Krznaric warns against short-term thinking and shows us how to be good ancestors.

About Roman Krznaric

Roman Krznaric has been named one of Britain's leading popular philosophers by The Observer. His writings have been widely influential among political and ecological campaigners, education reformers, social entrepreneurs and designers. An acclaimed public speaker, his talks and workshops have taken him from a London prison to Google's headquarters in California.

After growing up in Sydney and Hong Kong, Krznaric studied at the universities of Oxford, London and Essex, where he gained his PhD in political sociology. He went on to found the world's first Empathy Museum and is currently a research fellow at the Long Now Foundation.

His latest book is The Good Ancestor: How to Think Long Term in a Short-Term World. His other bestselling books, including Empathy, The Wonderbox and Carpe Diem Regained, have been published in more than 20 languages. Krznaric has previously been an academic, a gardener and a human rights activist in Guatemala.

This segment of TED Radio Hour was produced by Fiona Geiran and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHour and email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org.

Copyright 2025 NPR

Manoush Zomorodi
Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour. She is a journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur, and her work reflects her passion for investigating how technology and business are transforming humanity.
Fio Geiran
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
Sanaz Meshkinpour
[Copyright 2024 NPR]