Always in times past, ideological beliefs have protected us from life’s uncertainties and complexities. Today they serve us less and less well. I mean ideology in the broadest sense. “Chosen people/evil empire” thinking on the global stage presents the most obvious danger, whether the perceived basis is nationalistic, religious, or ethnic. But more limited ideological beliefs—such as the all-too-ready conclusions of the political Left or the political Right, culturally specific moral ardencies, or personal assumptions about gender and gender roles, or are also ceasing to serve us. Effective future thought and actions will require more encompassing, mature, and pragmatic understanding.