Present Self vs. Future Self

From Do Things You’ll Love Yourself For by David Cain:

And Present Self definitely sees Future Self as someone else. Think of how often you feel at odds with this hypothetical future version of you, such as when you put off something you ought to do today. You’re just dropping more work onto the desk of Future Self, who … will have enough to do already. You can rationalize it only because he feels like some other guy. He’s not you, not really. You obviously don’t want the task in question on your own desk. Say Present Self wants to sneak in another episodeof The Wire before going to bed, because it’s getting really good. This will cost Future Self something — she now has to carry the day’s already considerable burdens on 6 hours of sleep. But Present Self is the one who gets to choose for both of them.

I have never ever regretted performing acts of service for Future Self. Make the bed. Set out the cereal bowl for the morning. Fold the clothes with a little extra care.

Cain’s suggestion that we regard Future Self as “someone else” makes so much sense, and explains a lot of my own behaviour.