A recent New Yorker piece explored the psychology behind how we view the tajectory of our lives. Current research tells us that when it comes to looking back at our past and into our future, people can be categorized into two camps: dividers, and continuers.

For dividers, their past and future selves feel like strangers - fictional characters from a... See more

When we think about the future self, the activity falls somewhere in between. The closer that activity is to the current self, the more willing individuals are to wait for future rewards (or to show less “temporal discounting” of future rewards)

- “We undertake activities that we know to be difficult or unpleasant because we see them as part of a good life and wish to think back upon them in the future. We curate our presents to furnish our futures with the right kinds of pasts.”