The moral imagination
What do you dream of?
We’ve worked overtime to create a sports imagination. Kids dream of dunking a basketball or scoring the winning goal at the World Cup. That’s a pretty new phenomenon. Instant replay, endorsement deals and trading cards make it easy to imagine.
We’ve certainly established a profit imagination. Everywhere we turn, the p&l mindset isn’t far away. Add a zero. That’s winning.
And there’s a health imagination as well. The ideal of fitness and well-being, the very nature of an immune system that we’re supposed to support.
But what about the moral imagination?
Visualizing what’s possible. Deciding to do something about it. Wondering (to ourselves and then to the world, “how can I make this better?”)
Not because it’s our job or because we’ll win a prize. Simply because we can.
We can start where we are and we can make things better.
[PS Acumen has transformed Jacqueline Novogratz’ new book into an online course about moral imagination and our ability to make change happen. It’s usually $200 but free for anyone who buys a copy of the book. Details are here.]