It's my profession to bring people from various outlying districts of the mind to the normal. There seems to be a general feeling it's the place where they ought to be. Sometimes I don't see the urgency myself.
Rebecca WestRead
Psychologists and economists love to talk about the notion of two selves: present self and future self. It's a nice way to explain the tendency to have one preference about the future, but a very different preference when the future becomes the present.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the discrepancy between our present and future selves, illustrating how our preferences can change over time.
In this quote, Daniel Goldstein discusses the concept of the 'present self' and the 'future self,' emphasizing how individuals often make choices that align with their aspirations for the future, yet when those future moments become the present, their preferences may shift. This reflects the complexities of human decision-making and the struggle to align immediate desires with long-term goals, often leading to conflict and regret.
Themes
Present SelfFuture SelfDecision MakingPreferencesPsychology
In practice
Example use cases
In a talk about long-term planning, one could use this quote to illustrate the importance of aligning short-term actions with long-term goals.
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