Future studies or futurology is the science, art and practice of postulating possible, probable, and preferable futures and the worldviews and myths that underlie them. Futures studies seeks to understand what is likely to continue, what is likely to change, and what is novel. Part of the discipline thus seeks a systematic and pattern-based understanding of past and present, and to determine the likelihood of future events and trends. A key part of this process is understanding the potential future impact of decisions made by individuals, organisations and governments. Leaders use results of such work to assist in decision-making.
Despite the development of cognitive instruments for the comprehension of future, the stochastic nature of many natural and social processes has made precise forecasting of the future elusive. Modern efforts such as future studies attempt to predict social trends, while more ancient practices, such as weather forecasting, have benefited from scientific and causal modelling.
Prediction is a similar, but more general term. Both can refer to estimation of time series, cross-sectional or longitudinal data. Econometric forecasting methods use the assumption that it is possible to identify the underlying factors that might influence the variable that is being forecast. If the causes are understood, projections of the influencing variables can be made and used in the forecast. Judgmental forecasting methods incorporate intuitive judgments, opinions and probability estimates, as in the case of the Delphi method, scenario building, and simulations. Forecasting is applied in many areas, including weather forecasting, earthquake prediction, transport planning, and labour market planning.
In other similar words, what follows is the future. And if you’re right in predicting said future, then you’re right. But this is not forecasting. Forecasting is the process of estimation in unknown situations. Due to the element of the unknown, risk and uncertainty are central to forecasting and prediction. Statistical forecasting is the process of estimation in unknown situations. It can refer to estimation of time series, cross-sectional or longitudinal data.
Organized efforts to predict or forecast the future may have derived from observations by early humans of heavenly objects, which changed position in predictable patterns. The practice of astrology, today considered pseudoscience, evolved from the human desire to forecast the future. Much of physical science can be read as an attempt to make quantitative and objective predictions about events. These respective futures would take place after the present, in the times that follow.
In art and culture, the future was explored in several art movements and genres. The futurism art movement at the beginning of the 20th century explored every medium of art, including painting, sculpture, poetry, theatre, music, architecture and even gastronomy. Futurists had passionate loathing of ideas from the past, especially political and artistic traditions. Instead, they espoused a love of speed, technology, and violence. Futuristic music involved homage to, inclusion of, or imitation of machines. Futurism expanded to encompass other artistic domains and ultimately included industrial design, textiles, and architecture.
Future studies, or futurology, is the science, art and practice of postulating possible futures. Modern practitioners stress the importance of alternative and plural futures, rather than one monolithic future, and the limitations of prediction and probability, versus the creation of possible and preferable futures.
In the philosophy of time, presentism is the belief that only the present exists and the future and the past are unreal. Religions consider the future when they address issues such as karma, life after death, and eschatologies that study what the end of time and the end of the world will be. Religious figures have claimed to see into the future, such as prophets and diviners. Organized efforts to predict or forecast the future may have derived from observations by early man of heavenly objects.
When you explain your reasons to creditors for the difficulties you are having in keeping up payments they will much more often than not handle your case in a reasonable and sympathetic fashion. Believe me, they are used to hearing from people with repayment problems.
After having explained your circumstances to creditors they will usually agree to considerably reduced instalments. Before finalising a temporary repayment contract with you, many of these creditors will send you an income and expenditure form. These forms are tedious to fill in
When you have listed all your debts, including your mortgage if you have one, you should then make a list of the repayment instalments which were originally agreed. Once you’ve made such a list you should add all the amounts together to arrive at a figure for your monthly outgoings.
Also, calculate the amount you need to spend each month on the necessities of life; food, clothing, etc. Add this to the monthly outgoings figure from all your credit. If this figure exceeds your total monthly income, then you don’t need to be a genius to work out that you are in a financial situation which is most definitely problematical.
By writing down all your incomings and outgoings as suggested above, you should immediately feel some sense of relief that at least you are beginning to address the problem. As the old saying goes – “A problem recognised is a problem halved”.
Of course the “half” of the problem which is “solved” by arriving at the stage of it being properly recognised in the first place is, obviously, the easy half. The other “half” of the problem is the part which is going to take some effort to overcome.
