Dear Friends,

Everyone likes themselves.

But would the you of today like the you- who will exist 30 years from now?

Do not overthink this to the point of confusion with this. 

For many people, it is their current self that they like, not the self they are going to become 30, 40 or 50 years from now on.

The cigarettes you smoke today, the alcohol you consume today and the expenses you do today will all impact the person you become 30 years from now.

You may be knowing and realising this perfectly well. Yet, why do we prioritize only our present well-being?

If you look back at your life right now, it is the savings accumulated or the health maintained by the you of 20 or 30 years ago that sustains your life today.

In fact, the love that person from the past showed toward you is precisely what constitutes your peace of mind today.

From a scientific perspective, our brain perceives our future self as nothing more than a stranger.

That is why, when that stranger suffers, we feel no pain in the present moment.

With the aim of understanding how human's perceive their future lives, psychologist Hal Hershfield and his research team conducted a pivotal study.

The participants in the study were connected to an MRI machine, and the frontal regions of their brains underwent fMRI scanning.

"Think about yourself," they instructed. Immediately, all the participants' brains lit up with activity.

Next, showing them a photograph of a stranger, they said, "Think about this person." There was no activity, no "glow", within the brain.

Then, they issued a new instruction: "Think about the person you will be 30 years from now."

Once again, there was absolutely no activity within the brain.

So, as far as your mind is concerned, a complete stranger and the person you will become 30 years from now are one and the same.

Our brain perceives the self that will exist 30 years from now as if it were a complete stranger. This is precisely why we often lack empathy or concern for our future selves.

In scientific terms, this phenomenon is referred to as the empathy gap.

Consequently, we tend to prioritise immediate gratification.

For instance, spending money right now may brings us pleasure; However, saving money feels akin to setting aside funds for someone else, a stranger who will exist in the future.

Similarly, when we procrastinate on a task, even while acknowledging that our future self will ultimately have to bear the burden, we easily disregard this reality because our brain does not perceive that future self as being the same person as the present self.

Following this, the participants were assigned a second task:

"Take a moment to sit down and reflect on the person you will be 30 years from now.

You will be older; you may face difficulties with mobility; you will likely be in a situation where you require financial resources; and your physical health will be a matter of critical importance..."

As they engaged in this reflection, a distinct shift much like the flipping of a switch occurred once again within their brains.

The study concludes with the following counsel: "Think about yourself and your future every single day; practice self-love. Do today what is necessary for your future 'self.'

Do not rob that elderly person your future self of their health and financial security.