Article July 10, 1971 Issue

Influencing the Future

MARGUERITE E. BUTTNER

A friend described in detail a house I would see along a road I was about to take for the first time. From his description, I expected a well-kept, rambling bungalow. When I reached the place, I found just an old, weathered shack. Each of us saw what was emphasized by the light of his own thoughts. My friend could tell me only what he had seen. He could not accurately predict what I would see.

We may think we know what will occur at a well-planned party. We may have a good idea of what the place, the people, and the program will be like. What actually does happen, however, depends on our thoughts and acts each moment. For instance, if our attitude toward the guests is cold, the party can fall flat, but if our attitude is friendly, the guests' response can make the party enjoyable.

These considerations are helpful now when many people are publicly predicting the future and attempting to influence it. Some predictions are based on logical expectations deduced from the way events or attitudes have been developing. A trend seems to be established. If the trend continues, the prediction may seem reasonable. If the trend is alarming and the prediction disastrous, something must be done, and can be done, to reverse the expectation and the outcome.

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