Sunday, November 8, 2009

lesson #52: Live life as if it's your last day?

"Live as if you will die today."
It sounded damn cool the first time i heard it. It was even stuck in my mind for some time! The words seem to give an "ummph" to the dreadful boring parts of life.

But fortunately unfortunately I study Economics. And after some time, that sentence doesn't actually make sense.

In Economics, we study the allocation of resources. Assuming that everything we have is a resource (c'mon, i gotta use some economics accent, right?), I applied Economics in my time management - hopefully, correctly.

In Economics, when I make economic decisions decisions regarding how much to buy and how much to save, first I gotta know how many periods are involved how long I will be alive to experience the effect of my decisions. Say, if I live for 2 days (today & tomorrow), it means I must consider the fact that (assuming I have limited resources) if I spend something today, I will have less to spend tomorrow. Simple, right? (see, I told you Econs is easy at first)

This cool name is something like inter-temporal consumption decision. Or was it - ah, forget it..

Anyway, that means, if you KNOW that you will die today, you will decide to spend whatever you have based on the fact that the you will only live to see the consequences of your decision until today ends. Right? The rest is - well, who cares??

So what would YOU do?

Prepare the biggest, most embarrassing prank on your ex backstabbing colleagues not-so-favorite friends acquaintances to happen just before the clock strikes midnight?

Make a super exhausting money-wasting heart-melting, romantic display by yourself with the help of your friends (those not included in object of the previous prank, obviously) for your crush the one and true love of your life?

Take a Porsche for a test-drive and slam step on the throttle to find out what it feels like to be in control of a monster machine at 200km/hour and outrun the speed cameras? (not to mention listening to the outrageous engine roar)

Since all these options might give me that pleasure of adrenaline rush - that euphoria, then economically, they might be worth doing.
Cuz then I will die at midnight anyway. And never live to see the trouble responsibility pain consequences of my fun decisions.

But do I KNOW FOR SURE that I am going to die today? WHO DOES?
If I end up waking tomorrow, then I'd have to face all the consequences of my stupid decision today! (and maybe even be better off dead)

I can't! I can't live as if today is my last day! That would be foolish!


Live as if today ends today. Life continues tomorrow.