Name: The battle between your present and future self
Uploaded: 2011-12-21T16:33:51Z
Duration: 15 min 42 s
Description: Every day, we make decisions that have good or bad consequences for our future selves. (Can I skip flossing just this one time?) Daniel Goldstein makes tools that help us imagine ourselves over time, so that we make smart choices for Future Us.

Daniel Goldstein: The battle between your present and future self

The battle between your present and future self

Every day, we make decisions that have good or bad consequences for our future selves. (Can I skip flossing just this one time?) Daniel Goldstein makes tools that help us imagine ourselves over time, so that we make smart choices for Future Us.

People constantly struggle between short-term temptations and long-term goals, often letting immediate impulses undermine their future well-being. The classic tale of Odysseus and the Sirens illustrates the oldest 'commitment device'—a strategy to protect the future self from present urges. Modern tools now help people visualize future outcomes, like using software to age a photo or simulate retirement scenarios. By making the future self more vivid and real, individuals are more likely to make choices that benefit them in the long run.