I saw this steam locomotive returning to the earth in Madrid, New Mexico. At the time it was built a century ago, it cost perhaps a $1,000,000 in today’s dollars. Its value is now less than zero, because it would cost a lot to dispose of it if the land underneath it were needed for another purpose. The value of something can change a lot depending on when it’s available.
Your destiny is inescapably influenced by the relationship between your present self and your future self. A healthy marriage between these two people will result in a happier, healthier life.
You know your present self pretty well, it’s the person sitting here right now, reading this post. But you can use the human power of mental time travel to imagine various versions of yourself, over the short and long term. It’s easier to empathize with your “tomorrow self,” who will be much like your present self because you’re only a few hours away from becoming that person. It’s harder to conjure up the person you will become many decades from now, the person who will enjoy the benefits and bear the costs of decisions you will have made over a lifetime.
Psychologists have a term for the gap between the value of an immediate reward and a reward that arrives later in time: “hyperbolic discounting.” We tend to privilege the wants and needs of our present self over our future self, so we will tend to choose the current benefit over the future benefit. This is why you might sometimes have a few too many drinks. You’re willing to sacrifice the feeling of well-being tomorrow for the benefits of the buzz right now. You get the benefits, and some other person has to bear the costs. Until the passage of time converts that other person into you, and you wonder what in the world your past self was thinking.
First, the bad news about the psychological phenomenon of the present/future self:
A pioneer in this area of study, Hal Hershfield, reports that we actually think of our future self as a different person. And that’s not a good thing, because most people are somewhat selfish, and therefore willing to shortchange their future self because they they think they’re externalizing the costs of their present actions to someone else. They don’t fully appreciate that they will be become that person. It’s like peeing in somebody else’s well to discover that one day you will be drinking from it.
One of the unavoidable and unfortunate conundrums of life is that the investments you might make for the benefit of your future self, such as exercising, eating a healthy diet, or saving for retirement, are usually not the things your present self wants to do today. Your present self would probably prefer to sit on the couch, eating Cheetos, and ordering stuff from Amazon. It takes self-awareness and discipline to make difficult decisions with your future self in mind.
The good news is that you can still do a lot to foster harmony between your present and future self.
Good habits can enforce a functional relationship between your present and future self. You probably observe a rule that you brush your teeth every night before bed, no matter how tired you are. That habit eliminates the discord between satisfying your immediate desire to fall asleep with your wish to enjoy the long-term benefits of good dental hygiene. You just do the best thing automatically.
With modest effort you can arrange your life to benefit your future self. It’s a lot easier to pass on buying the cookies at the grocery store, when your present self can’t enjoy them, than it is to bring them home, where you set up a direct conflict between the desires of your present self and the waistline of your future self.
Savor the many present benefits you enjoy as a result of prior investments you made in your future self. Note and appreciate, for example, that your good income derives from the investments you made in your education or trade. This exercise strengthens the emotional bond between your selves.
Evolve the way you think about your future self. Focus on compassion. You wouldn’t subject a loved one to high-blood pressure or diabetes, so why are you making dietary choices today that would create those problems for your future self?
Find things that your present self enjoys but also benefit your future self. If you hate the gym, you probably won’t be able to keep going for very long. After all, your grit muscle can work only so long and hard before it gives up. Choose sustainable activities that your present self can derive at least some pleasure from right now. Maybe you would rather watch television than walk for an hour around the neighborhood, but getting together on a schedule with a friend will make exercise a lot more enjoyable because of the social time. And if you remain committed, your present self will start enjoying the good feelings associated with increased fitness—a virtuous feedback loop.