Human beings are distinct from the rest of creature due to their ability to meditate, contemplate and probe forward. Not only in the case of individuals, countries alike are not immune from this fate, but there then lies another question: how important for both individuals and countries to think about future ,not just to narrow their mind within the occasion of the present?
What strikes me first is that individuals all have their own plan for life, with differentiated level of looking forward. But one thing would be sure that no matter how far they look ahead, they will certainly hold tight of this plan on the base of the present world to realize it and to look even further. On the contrary, we can find cases of having no plan at all, in which individuals are subject to somehow unpredictable fate for lack of present preparation. Therefore we should balance both future and present , but after all ,we must firstly keep fast hold of the present.
Then when my mind comes upon the matter of countries, things appear quite analogous. For any country ,we must have a plan on not just what to do now, but what to do in the upcoming decade ,even in some cases, in the advancing century. But as individuals cannot invest all their mind on their future, countries should also project their heed on present affairs like economic development and national defense. Again , we can happily conclude that countries also root in the soil of presence and then harvest the fruit of the future.
Still I hope every thinking object of the planet give adequate heed on the relation of presence and future , but not just swayed by the gale of metaphysics but also keep hold to the fort of pragmatism.