So I have been attending some recent conferences on sustainability. The word du jour is “future-proofing”, as applied to buildings, one’s business, the economy, health, the environment or whatever the concern may be.

This idea, “future-proofing” had me scratching my head in bewilderment. What could it possibly mean?

If one says one’s safe is “fire-proof”, one means that in the event of an fire that burns down one’s house, the safe would be protected from damage. “Fire” is the damage agent and “proof” is the claim against it’s effects.

If you said your watch was “water-proof”, you mean that the continued functioning of your watch will not be affected when it comes into contact with water. So as not to make too much guarantees, some watches are called “water-resistant”, just in case the touted proof is not perfect. This idea: “resistant” is revealing of what “future-proof” is trying to convey.

So a good first guess at what “future-proof” is meant to convey the methods and techniques designed to insulate us the bad effects of the future.

There are quite a few flaws in this understanding. Why should one be insulated against the future? The sort of person who needs to do that is a fearful individual who hates change. The effort going to resisting the future is a inherently futile endeavour, destined to fail.

I can hear you objection. One future proofs to avoid the bad effects of the future. Good effects are welcome!

But this understanding reveals a flaw. The future, unpredictable and unknowable, will carry good and bad effects to us. “Good” and “bad” is a value judgement in the rear-view mirror. In the front view mirror, everything – good and bad – is coming at you, out to get you with a great big stick. 赛翁失马，炎知非幅！

So future-proofing runs the risk that we will avoid that which could be good for us, had we but patience to wait for what the future holds. It will take some time, but who says the future only comes quickly?

Because we don’t just anticipate the future to fear the untoward effects, we also want to welcome the new, the strange, which may turn out to be good!

The future is not future-proof, because it is not proven!