The quiet sentinels of long forgotten passage

On the windswept coastal path in North Cornwall[i], between Trebarwith Strand and Tintagel, are abandoned quarries carved into the cliffs[ii].  From the 15th to early 20th century workmen excavated slate for sills, tiles and walls.

Some of the stone did not travel far, building the hedges that divide local fields and the stiles that staddle them. Today these undulating crossings are worn smooth by the tread of feet over hundreds of years. Quiet sentinels of long forgotten passage. 

As I clamber over them it seems impossible that my gentle step and modern walking boots could impact the durable slate. And yet the dips and hollows bear witness to others. Their grooves tell stories, imperceptible erosion shaped though time.

You may have had the same experience visiting Wells Cathedral[iii], the Buddhist temple of Borobudur in Indonesia[iv], or climbing Mount Tai in Shandong, China[v]. 

Stairs indented by centuries of worshippers, a scripture in stone[vi]. 

The rolling steps viewed as part of history; to gawp at, photograph and wonder, not something you are actively forming.  The pressure from feet minute compared to the hardness of rock.

But over centuries the tiny scuffs from countless footfall add up. Each step carrying a dash of grit, abrading the surface. 

When climbing the stairs or crossing a wall people naturally tread in the same place, concentrating the wear, leading to visible dents and smoothing the slabs. 

They have left an imprint. You will leave an imprint. 

Long termism and the diffusion of responsibility

As with slate stiles, so with life and work.

Humans have trouble appreciating the gradual impact of their actions where the outcome is not immediately obvious, or where collective responsibility rests with the many. 

Their blindness arising from a combination of cognitive biases, social dynamics, and evolutionary mechanisms.

The climate crisis is a stark example where individual action can seem futile. Where motivated reasoning[vii] counters cognitive dissonance[viii] and allows our immediate interests and priorities to take precedence over the welfare of others, especially those who appear distant in miles or years. 

Our annual holiday flight a soft tread upon the stone step. 

The Diffusion of Responsibility[ix] shows that when many people are present or involved, individuals feel less personal responsibility for the outcome, even more so when the downside plays out over an extended time. 

Who am I in the face of the thousands of ramblers, farmers and quarrymen who have passed this way before? 

A slow motion version of the Bystander Effect[x], where in emergencies, individuals are less likely to help when others are present, assuming that "someone else will do it."

In the “Tragedy of the Commons”[xi] individuals act in their own self-interest in a shared-resource environment. The asset gets depleted even though (in the long run) everyone would be better off co-operating. When the harm caused by each individual seems negligible it is easy to carry on.

For companies, replace the words “shared resource” with your long built reputation, hewn from corporate rock over many years. 

Sometimes individuals privately disagree with a situation or (lack of) action but go along with it because they think everyone else accepts it. Or in pluralistic ignorance[xii], they misinterpret the silence or actions of others as agreement. 

And when consequences are delayed, abstract, or indirect, people struggle to connect cause and effect. Our brains evolved to respond to immediate, visible outcomes, over long-term or systemic ones. 

The replacement block for a Cornish stile a distant prospect. Work for an unborn stonemason.

This year’s P&L and performance targets are much more visceral than the standing of the company 10 years hence, or the gradual degradation of an IT system where investment can be delayed once again. 

A gentle nudge of the firm’s own interests over the welfare of the client today, or the behavioural norms taught to the new intake of graduates in September. Their echo will be heard and their touch pressed into the slate of company standing. 

The same dynamics play out at industry level. The seeds of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis were scattered, a diffused responsibility across mortgage holders, banks, brokers, structurers, rating agencies and regulators.

Moral disengagement, as risk was passed along the chain, allowing actors to distance themselves from the eventual harm, and a lack of salience with the negative consequences, delayed and abstract when judged against tempting immediate rewards.

The winding stairs appeared solid, until the treads were eroded and the joists gave way.

Someone planted a tree a long time ago

There are many reasons why individuals, boards and executives often fail to assess the accumulated toll and pressures of decisions made and unmade, and adequately plan for the long-term future of their lives, companies and industries.

However, an in depth analysis of all the risks and mitigants; from short term pressures, time constraints, expertise gaps and organizational inertia can wait for another day, another inspirational walk and another article.

As I straddle the Cornish stone stile I just wonder how we can better connect people with their great grandchildren, or the distant future of their home, country or company.

Perhaps one answer lies with the scent of pine needles in a newly planted Norwegian forest.

The Future Library Project[xiii] is a 100-year art venture created to expand people's perspectives of time, and their duty to posterity.

Each year since 2014, the Scottish artist Katie Paterson and the project trustees have invited a prominent author[xiv] to submit a manuscript, and the process will continue until 2114.

100 years hence they will all finally be published, printed on paper sourced from the planted spruce trees.

The manuscripts are held in a specially designed room at the Oslo Public Library, built using layers of carved wood from those original trees, felled to make way for the new saplings, with a glass drawer for each year. 

The artist, the authors and those currently involved will not live to see their publication, and nor will they ever get to read the books or delight in the critical reviews. 

Could this extreme exercise in delayed gratification and gifting to the future find an echo in our personal and corporate lives? 

Should we all write a solemn commitment to tomorrow’s world on what changes we will make today to help protect them? 

How will we feel if we know our descendants will gently unfold our handwritten promises on yellowing paper and compare our actions to fine words and intent? Will they be proud, disappointed or angry? 

For a shorter time horizon, should we build on the inspiration behind “Dear Tomorrow”[xv]?

A global movement inviting people to write personal messages about their commitment to tackle environmental challenges, where participants imagine it is 2050 and send letters to their loved ones or future selves, sharing thoughts on climate change and their promises to protect the planet. 

Perhaps we should tap into Bradford’s 2025 UK City of Culture “We Will Sing” initiative, with a project that encourages individuals to write letters to the future[xvi].

The messages connect personal memories and present-day experiences to the hereafter, aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of heritage and responsibility. 

Or should we encourage our business leaders down to the South West of England for a bracing walk along the coastal path and as they climb a Cornish slate stile ask them to stop awhile and contemplate. 

To run their hands across the imprint of long past boots, trace the grooves with their fingers and sense both their own lasting impact and personal transience. 

To pause as they straddle the divide between the fields they have walked and those yet to be crossed, and commit to what kind of marks they will choose to leave behind[xvii].

Post Script 1 

There is much more to unpack on how to get individuals, companies and management to act for the long term. I will revisit the topic in due course (do I need a handwritten pledge for that?). 

However, for this article I (loosely) focussed on commitment devices[xviii] that might help connect people to a future that they may not be around to see, because it is beyond their working, company or physical lifetime. 

I suspect that the advancement of AI and lifelike interaction may help connect us to our imagined descendants and those destined to inherit our genes as well as our corporate and societal mess. Perhaps those avatars from the future will respond in real time with delight, concern or scorn to the actions we take or defer today. 

I have previously undertaken research into the use and efficacy of Oaths in Banking.

A practice seen in the Netherlands, Australia (and more recently Belgium[xix]). A topic I will also return to, especially if they can be combined with more impactful ritual, resonant commitment devices and professional expectation. 

Post Script 2 

Just as I completed this article I came across a new piece of research published in the British Journal of Social Psychology, that highlighted brief, low-cost psychological interventions that can help people adopt a more expansive moral perspective towards future generations. 

These included roleplay as a leader of a committee protecting future generations, and taking part in a philosophical thought exercise emphasizing reduction of intergenerational harm. 

This warrants further investigation on whether their could be read across into a corporate setting. 

See:

Law, K. F., Young, L., & Syropoulos, S. (2025). Cultivating multigenerational moral expansion: Interventions cultivate moral concern for future generations in boundless and zero‐sum contexts. British Journal of Social Psychology, 64(2), e12892. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12892

Post Script 3

Cornish slate stiles and drystone walls are wonderful. The stone is local and they sit organically in the ancient landscape. 

Some believe that they may already act as a portal across time. There was a stile at Summercourt in Cornwall known as "Lunnon Brown", which after nightfall, local people were afraid to cross for fear of seeing the ghost of Ole Bett Nitty, an aged lady who sat there knitting[xx].

References

[i] One of my regular runs and walks on the coastal path. Doubtless soon to become more popular following the success of The Salt Path by Raynor Winn, and the film released in 2025 starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. Tagline – “Life. One step at a time” https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27766440/

[ii] See - The Parish of Tintagel, Some Historical Notes; by Rev. A. C. Canner 1982;

[iii] The "Sea of Steps" at Wells Cathedral in Somerset are a set of worn, curving stone steps leading from the north transept of the cathedral to the Chapter House. These steps, some of which date back to the 13th century are renowned for their architectural beauty and the visible wear from 750 years of use. https://www.exploringgb.co.uk/blog/seaofstepswellscathedral

[iv] Borobudur is a 9th-century Buddhist temple in Central Java, Indonesia. The high volume of visitors using it’s narrow stairs, caused severe wear eroding the stone’s surface and making them thinner and smoother. To avoid further wear some main sections of stairs are now covered with wooden structures. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borobudur#:~:text=The%20high%20volume%20of%20visitors,the%20stairs%20with%20rubber%20cover.

[v] Mount Tai (also known as Taishan), is a prominent mountain in Shandong province, China, famous for it’s 7,200 steps leading to the summit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Tai#:~:text=Other%20monuments,-Rock%20inscriptions%20at&text=A%20flight%20of%207%2C200%20total,14%20kiosks%2C%20and%20four%20pavilions.

[vi] I couldn’t find a source for this quote although Hilaire Belloc, in one of his travel essays, wrote of “steps worn by centuries of pilgrims until they seemed to melt under the persistence of faith.”

[vii] Motivated reasoning is a cognitive process where people's reasoning is influenced by their desires or preferences, leading them to favour conclusions that align with those desires, even if the reasoning is biased. It can involve selecting beliefs, evidence, or strategies that support a desired conclusion, and may occur unconsciously. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/motivated-reasoning

[viii] Cognitive dissonance is when someone has two beliefs or behaviours that are in conflict with each other. As people tend to find a sense of comfort in consistent values and perceptions, this clash can bring about uncomfortable feelings. Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford University Press. See also - https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/Cognitive-Dissonance-Intro-Sample.pdf

[ix] Diffusion of responsibility occurs when people who need to make a decision wait for someone else to act instead. The more people involved, the more likely it is that each person will do nothing, believing someone else from the group will probably respond. See - Kassin, Fein; Markus, Burke (2013). Social Psychology. Toronto: Nelson Education. See also https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/psychology/diffusion-responsibility

[x] The Bystander effect refers to the phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help someone in need if others are present. This is because the presence of others can lead to a diffusion of responsibility, making people feel less personally accountable for taking action. https://www.verywellmind.com/the-bystander-effect-2795899

[xi] Tragedy of the Commons is a problem that arises when a shared resource is overused by individuals acting in their own self-interest without considering the long-term consequences for the collective. This overuse can lead to the depletion or degradation of the resource, benefiting no one in the long run. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/tragedy-of-the-commons.asp#:~:text=Supply%20and%20Demand-,The%20tragedy%20of%20the%20commons%20occurs%20when%20an%20economic%20good,maintaining%20or%20reproducing%20the%20good.

[xii] Pluralistic ignorance is a phenomenon in social psychology where individuals incorrectly believe that their own views and feelings are different from those of others in a group, when in reality, the group shares similar private beliefs. This leads to a misperception of the group's actual opinions, and people may publicly conform to perceived norms even if they privately disagree. https://sk.sagepub.com/ency/edvol/socialpsychology/chpt/pluralistic-ignorance

[xiii] The Future Library Project in Norway. https://www.futurelibrary.no/

[xiv] The first author was Margaret Atwood, with a piece called “Scribbler Moon”. The second was David Mitchell (not that one) -  and “From Me Flows What You Call Time”.

[xv] dear tomorrow - https://www.deartomorrow.org/ - Participants submit letters, videos, and photo promises dedicated to their children, family, or future self about climate change.

[xvi] Bradford’s 2025 UK City of Culture - We will sing initiative - https://bradford2025.co.uk/event/we-will-sing/ and the Letters to the future - https://bradford2025.co.uk/opportunity/we-will-sing-letters-to-the-future/ and https://wewillsing-letterstothefuture.tumblr.com/. Unlikely as it may seem the address of the Future is – “The Future, c/o Bradford 2025,1A Aldermanbury, Bradford BD1 1SD”

[xvii] I have previously undertaken research into the use and efficacy of Oaths in Banking. A practice seen in the Netherlands, Australia (and more recently Belgium ). A topic I will also return to, especially if they can be combined with more impactful ritual, commitment devices and professional expectation. 

[xviii] A Commitment Device is a voluntary self-imposed strategy that increases the likelihood of achieving future goals by creating constraints or incentives that make it more difficult to deviate from intended actions. It leverages behavioural economics and psychology to help individuals overcome self-control issues and act on their plans, particularly when faced with immediate temptations that clash with long-term objectives. https://www.behavioraleconomics.com/resources/mini-encyclopedia-of-be/commitment/

[xix] Bloomberg - Belgium’s Bankers Now Have to Swear They’ll Act Honestly. 15 January 2025. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-15/belgium-s-bankers-now-have-to-swear-they-ll-act-honestly

[xx] Spooner, B. C. (1968). The Haunted Style. Folklore, 79(2), 135–139. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1258322