“The best way to predict the future is to create it” Abraham Lincoln – Self-Determination

Transcript

Steve Fouts: 0:03 

Hey everybody, Steve and Dan Fouts here. We are teaching different with American president Abraham Lincoln using a quote attributed to him on self-determination. Here’s the quote, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”  A really thought provoking quote. It’s short, to the point, and talks about what it is that we can control in our life, and how that affects how our future is going to unfold. Lincoln has a pretty clear opinion on this. What would you say the claim is? 

Dan Fouts: 0:48 – Claim

It’s a positive opinion on the capacity for people to shape their own futures with the choices they make. These choices determine who they are, and where they’re headed. It’s very empowering. Another way to say it is that you can make things happen if you want them to happen. You can will things into happening. I’m thinking, with students, you can ask them what are some things you think you have control over, that you can make happen? Some of them will say that they want to become this when they grow up, and they know they can make that happen.  Why do they think they can make that happen? The student might talk about all the things they can do to make that into reality. That would be an interesting conversation, talking about their dreams and where they want to head. 

Steve Fouts: 1:53 

I think you’ll get a lot of students agreeing with Abraham Lincoln on this  quote.  There are always a few students who, when you ask them what they want to be when they grow up, give you their wildest dreams. They’re going to say what it is they want to do that makes them happy. I just remember students, who really liked sports, telling me, I want to make it to the NBA, I want to make it to the NFL. It’s really an inspiring quote because it says you have the ability to take control over that. Just asking students what their dreams are is a great way to start this conversation. As teachers, parents, and coaches, we’re continually sending this message to kids that they have success in their hands, that they just have to work hard to get it. They can create their own reality. They can do it. I think this is definitely reinforced by adult role models. 

Steve Fouts: 3:04 

Definitely, and again, I think a lot of students are going to agree with it. Now, let’s push back and think of the counterclaim to this quote.

Dan Fouts: 3:15 – Counterclaim

I think the counterclaim here is equally clear, “That the future is determined for you.” No matter how hard you try, you’re destined to end up in a certain place, regardless of the choices you make. This makes me want to ask students, what are some things about you that you can’t change, that you think determine your future in some way?  Some students might say, I’m just not good at math. In my future, I’m not going to be a mathematician no matter how hard I try. You can say the same thing about athletic ability. Students will come up with different ways to describe how they’re limited by certain things in their life and that their future is  determined for them on a certain level. 

Steve Fouts: 4:23 – Essential Question

I agree with that. I see that limitation as an offshoot of the conversation.  How do you define what those limits are? Some students might say they weren’t born with certain things, like that they’re not tall, so they probably won’t be a great basketball star. Or they were never good at math, and they never liked math, so they’re not going to be a mathematician. They associate limitations with the attributes they were born with. I think they also will bring up limitations in terms of their environment. Their circumstances are going to make certain things harder for them over others. I think that would be a really good offshoot conversation. We’ve got some conversations in the library about overcoming your circumstances, like building character, fulfilling your dreams, and determining who you’re going to be despite your circumstances. We have one from Booker T. Washington on that. I think the one on character could be a really nice offshoot. 

Well, here’s an essential question that you could use to wrap up the conversation, “Do we have control over our future?” This question gets right to the heart of self determination, and gets the students to raise their awareness of the forces that are acting against them at times. What’s preventing them from becoming everything they want to become? It also gets them to look inside and say to themselves, I have control over my future. I want to know what rationale they give. That would be a fascinating conversation. 

Dan Fouts: 6:26 

Are the forces inside them stronger than the forces outside of them?  We can all agree that there are forces inside and outside of us. We have to decide which ones we want to listen to. This is an important one to think about. 

Steve Fouts: 6:48 

If you want more resources, then sign up for access to our Conversation Library where we have videos, guides and everything you really need to make having these conversations in the classroom a routine. The Booker T. Washington conversation that we mention is in there, along with dozens of other conversations that hit on similar themes to help students gain an understanding of the forces that limit them, but also the forces they have inside them. They can overcome any obstacles and fulfill the destiny they want. Take care everybody. 

Dan Fouts: 7:34 

Take care.