Why Wendell Berry Didn’t Worry About the Future
His life as a writer and farmer was informed by a simple, clarifying idea: Forget tomorrow, and work toward what is good today.
TL;DR
- Wendell Berry, who passed away at 92, was known for his radical abstention from modern technology and media.
- Arranging an interview with Berry involved a deliberate, analog communication process, highlighting his resistance to conventional methods.
- Berry's philosophy, inspired by Jesus's Sermon on the Mount, suggests that 'Take no thought for the morrow' is a guiding principle.
- He believed that worrying about the future is largely unproductive, as most feared outcomes do not occur.
- This perspective contrasted with his known concerns about societal and environmental problems stemming from short-term thinking.