Episode 111: ‘How to Fall in Love with the Future & The Role Marketers Play’, with Rob Hopkins, Author, Activist and Co-Founder of the Transition Movement

Community work at scale is like hope with its sleeves rolled up …

We loved this latest podcast conversation with Rob Hopkins, co-founder of the Transition Network, climate activist and author of the fabulous feel good book, ‘How to Fall in Love with the Future’. Rob argues that the most critical work of our time is to actively imagine and cultivate a longing for a better future. He talks about the climate crisis being at its heart, a failure of the imagination telling us, “I think we live in a time where the future is being cancelled and the future is being colonized, and if you talk to a lot of young people, the future has just sort of disappeared, they can't think about the future”. The solution, he suggests, is not more dire warnings, but a radical shift towards what activist Ouassima Laabich calls "sensual futuring" - making a positive future feel tangible, desirable, and within reach. And that is exactly what his book sets out to do as he takes the reader (or listener) off in a time machine!

Rob talks about how traditional activism, rooted in an "information deficit model," has failed to engage the vast majority of people. Simply presenting facts about collapse and extinction leads to paralysis, not action. Instead, he proposes that the primary objective of any movement for change should be "the cultivation of longing," using storytelling, play, and immersive experiences. Rob explains people should be able to, “see, smell, and taste” what a sustainable, equitable world could be like. Rob tells us how he has taken thousands of people through his "time travel" workshops, guiding them to a positive 2030, making the alternative future an emotional reality for them.

His book, “How to Fall in Love with the Future”, is the antidote to where we currently find ourselves, in a world where we’ve had our collective imaginations stifled and the promotion of fear is all too familiar. Countering this head-on he explains, “I try to fill people's cupboards with stories so that then when someone says that's not possible they say, yes it is”, the book is packed with real-world examples of what is already possible, from car-free neighbourhoods in Germany to community-led energy projects. He emphasises that we must connect visionary thinking with on-the-ground action. For Marketers, Rob acknowledges the need for our skills in shaping desire and cultivating longing, not to drive consumption but instead help tell the stories that will guide humanity toward a thriving future.

This is a wonderful conversation which had Michelle scribbling away throughout, his book is a MUST read!

Tune in as we talk to Rob about:

• The crisis of imagination – how our collective ability to imagine a positive future has declined, leaving us stuck in the present.

• Why we need to cultivate longing over fear - change-makers should be pushing to inspire a deep, emotional longing for a different future.

• Making the future tangible through "time travel" – the power of immersive storytelling should not be underestimated in helping people experience a positive future, making it feel real and worth fighting for.

• “We must imagine while we build” Mariame Kaba: Action and imagination go hand-in-hand. Building a better world requires constantly articulating and refining the vision we are working towards.

• Marketing's role: understanding psychology and cultivating desire is key to bridging the gap between abstract ideas and public longing.

For more information about Rob, visit: https://www.robhopkins.net/ where you’ll find links to his books.

Enjoy - and if you love the podcast, share with your friends, family and colleagues.

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