What’s worse than reading one bad trend report? Reading 100 of them. It’s that time of year again. As we inch towards the last quarter of the year a flurry of trend reports will hit our news feeds and inboxes. It’s not just the exclusive privilege of those of us in foresight and futures who get to spend hours trawling through these, everyone one of us is sent one trend report or another. Anyone and everyone can have a perspective of what is likely to be influential in 2024.

The problem isn’t a lack of perspective, the problem is homogenization of perspectives. And the lack of complex, critical thinking applied to it.

We break plans apart so we can rebuild them stronger. We question things like an outside company would so that our activities stand up to competitor scrutiny. We consider the worst alternative so that we build contingencies for that reality. We pressure test, we rethink, we reassess our plans with positive intent. It’s fun to play the devil’s advocate, sure, it’s easier to spot the negatives than the positives, but it’s also imperative that we do so.

Surely, the act of thinking - pausing, reflecting, considering, probing - is the most critical one in propagating curious behavior that is worthy of our time.

Curious action without curious thought is aimless. But curious thought in itself without curious action is fruitless. In fact, you could say practicing curious thinking, while critical, is not pushing us towards that aspect of curiosity that is so distinct and so revered - bravery.