Summary

The article discusses a humorous and introspective account of the conflict between an individual's past, present, and future selves, emphasizing the need for the present self to make better decisions.

Abstract

In a whimsical narrative, the author personifies the concept of past, present, and future selves, highlighting the present self's tendency to make decisions that negatively impact the other two. The past self is depicted as the planner, the present self as the decision-maker prone to procrastination and self-indulgence, and the future self as the recipient of the consequences. The article uses specific examples, such as skipping coffee, eating late-night sweets, and neglecting exercise, to illustrate how the present self's actions disrupt the plans and aspirations of the past and future selves. It concludes with a set of directives for the present self to improve behavior, including showing gratitude to the past self, taking action on planned activities, and being more considerate of the collective self's well-being.

Opinions

The present self is criticized for being self-centered and not considering the desires and plans of the past and future selves.
The past self is portrayed as responsible and forward-thinking, making decisions for the benefit of the future self.
The future self is shown as disappointed and powerless, relying on the present self to make choices that lead to positive outcomes.
The article suggests that the present self needs a wake-up call to change its behavior and start making decisions that align with the goals and expectations of the past and future selves.
There is an underlying frustration with the present self's inability to follow through on commitments, such as not running to impress the barista or not adhering to a no-sweets policy.
The author implies that living in the present is a privilege that the present self takes for granted, and there is a warning that this privilege could be revoked if behavior does not improve.

What to Do When Your Present Self Needs a Wake-up Call

The three selves of Christmas.

Past, Present, and Future Self by Dim Hou

I’m your future self.

I just came back from the past where I had a fascinating discussion with past self. We concluded that all our problems are coming from you, present self. We are tired of this situation and would like to perform a healthy shaking of your brain to change it.

Past self couldn’t come because they have to stay in the past according to time-traveling rules, but I’m future self, so I have access to time travel in any direction I want.

You look suspicious.

Let me give you some examples of the awful things you did this year.

No later than this morning, we were standing in the line, ready to order coffee. Past self had made the decision, and I was eagerly waiting in the future to drink this delicious brew they have downstairs.

But no.

You decided that it was boring to wait so long and went back home upstairs to play with your stupid video game; no coffee for me. Let me tell you how disappointed I was. Past self was also very frustrated because they don’t like it when they make a decision and someone else overturns it without any reasonable explanation.

Here’s another example from last week.

Past self had clearly stated there wouldn’t be any sweets after 8 PM. And I was looking forward to feeling good the next morning waking up knowing I hadn’t eaten sweets late in the night and ready to go for a jog to celebrate.

But no.

You sneakily waited till 10 PM and opened the box of chocolate we received from the barista downstairs. And I would like to underline that it was for all of us. Not just you, present self. Maybe you could not be egoistical for once and think of us? We like chocolate too, you know. Anyway, no need to say how disappointed we were.

Do you want more?

No problem, I have countless examples.

Remember when past self bought the running shoes last month? They wanted to impress the barista from downstairs. And I was looking forward to having some sexy time with them.

All we needed to do was run a few times in front of the coffee shop so that they would see how fit and sporty we were.

It was a foolproof plan.

Except for you, present self. You never even made the effort to put on the shoes and go for a run. We had planned everything; you just had to move your ass. How hard can it be?

So, here’s what we gonna do.

First, you’ll hold the metaphorical doors for me from now on, AND you’ll say thank you to past self for holding them for you.

Second, you’ll write a letter to the barista downstairs. Past self has prepared the text while we were talking. I’ll drop the envelope in the coffee shop’s mailbox later today. There’s no way we’ll let you ruin yet another relationship. Past self deserves to have sweet memories.

Third, you’re not allowed to relive your favorite past experiences anymore. They’re for past self, not for you. And you’re not allowed to procrastinate and send all the boring tasks my way either. It’s high time you get to work.

If you don’t do that, we’ll revoke your rights to live in the present.

And you’ll have to live in the past AND in the future with us. Yes, at the same time. I can guarantee you don’t want that. Living in the present is extra sweet; you should be grateful. So, grow up finally, and make us proud.

With thanks to R P Gibson and Preeti Ramachandran for inspiring this story with their articles:

How I Stay Motivated To Write Everyday

You can’t see the red dot, but you can always feel it

medium.com

We’re Only as Important as the Relational Model Allows Us to Be

Six degrees of separation took on a whole new meaning

medium.com

Smillew is a Medium writer who writes mainly about Santa Claus, his Medium newsletter, and his Medium referral link. No need to follow him; he’ll show up in your feed.