Posterity is a fancy way of referring to “future people.” Regard for the future is an essential guiding influence on efforts made towards equilibrium. Without regard for the future, such efforts are likely to be in vain. Any and all of our actions can have long-term consequences of some sort, and those consequences may even extend beyond our own lifetimes. Before you act, consider those who will have to live with the long-term consequences of your actions. This will provide you with a different perspective on what is “healthy” and “unhealthy,” and also on what is “important” and “unimportant.”
In the past, we find much pain. There is the pain of what we have done, physically and psychologically, to the Earth, to each other, and to ourselves. This pain can cause us to become jaded, and being jaded harms our efforts towards a better future. It is important that we somehow find the courage to open our hearts and move forward in the hope that, someday, people will no longer have to endure the same pain and difficulties which we ourselves have experienced.
Unfortunately, those who lack regard for posterity will not sympathize with the pain of those who do have such regard. People who lack regard for posterity cope with the pain of this existence by selfish means. Selfless intentions and efforts provoke disgust and impatience in such people (just ask my ex-boyfriend. HM...). Selfishness, of course, only deepens the pain and destruction taking place on this planet. The resistance of the selfish to the selfless makes selfless, future-oriented efforts that much more difficult. How can we open our hearts and move toward a better future when there's always someone who wants to hold us back?
To an extent, you do have to just grit your teeth and intend to continuously move forward no matter what. However, it may be healthy to re-connect with your pain from time to time. There is so much pain on this planet, trying to just forget about it 100% of the time is futile. It is alright to reflect on what has gone wrong. Use both the lessons learned and the painful feelings which result from this reflection as fuel for corrective action. Ideally, you should be able to engage in this process of reflection and pain-transformation on your own. However, it sometimes helps to have someone to share this process with-- someone who, like you, wants a healthier future for our posterity. I hope that, in due time, equilibriumism.org will have a forum where people can safely discuss their personal process, if they want to do so. Otherwise, hopefully you are blessed with the fortune of finding a friend or life partner with whom you can share your hopes and desires, as well as your pain. If you trust each other enough, and you both are centered enough in a selfless purpose (meaning that co-dependence will not result), you may find it beneficial to try to carry one another's pain. Listen to each other, feel the other person's pain, and apologize to them for having had to endure it. Then, intend to use it as fuel for creating a better future together.