Why Are We Tormented by the Future?
We recoil from the notion that this is it—that this life, with all its flaws and inescapable vulnerabilities, its extreme brevity, and our limited influence over how it unfolds, is the only one we’ll get a shot at. Instead, we mentally fight against the way things are—so that, in the words of the psychotherapist Bruce Tift, “we don’t have to
... See moreOliver Burkeman • Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
There are many aspects of life that pull us in opposing directions. We need to be pessimistic enough to prepare for bad outcomes but optimistic enough to undertake new projects. We need to see people both as enmeshed in systems that push them around and as free agents shaping their own lives. It’s vital to be skeptical and ask questions, but also
... See moreJoshua Rothman • Why Are We Tormented by the Future?
"...started the first pages of Tony and Susan, the poorly named novel that inspired Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals, one of the most frightening and beautiful films I’ve seen. This line resonated: 'It was the habit of his mind to know the worst case, the ultimate. His life was a scenario of disasters that never took place.'"
—Mysterium, James A Reeves