Steven Johnson wrote about slowing down time by moving to California from New York. New food, new people, a new route home from work. Practically speaking, I’d argue most people underinvest in memories. Yet, unless we’re on a strong diet of self-delusion, we can only tell stories about things we remember. We are the stories we tell ourselves, says Joan Didion. Ultimately, I think memories matter most. It's when I look back on all that I've experienced that my life feels most meaningful. It's when I take stock of my life as a whole - “as a whole” being a trigger phrase for memory - that I feel most deeply satisfied. In an article about his trip to Tasmania, James Fallows said, "I judge travel by the density of the memories it creates." Why? Because memories underpin meaning. The remembering-self (to use Daniel Kahneman's terminology), on the other hand, wants memories. ![]() To have a great meal in a low-stress situation, say. The experiencing-self enjoys being able to be in the moment on the Mexico beach to be mindful, meditative, and attentive to feel each sensation. There are merits to both styles of travel. On the other hand, wind your way through the streets of Cairo for the first time and you’ll likely experience some harrowing and maybe not altogether very fun moments, but you’ll be telling stories about your journey years later. ![]() But it’s not likely to lead to many memories, especially if you’ve sat on a lot of beaches before. Sit on a beach in Mexico for a week and you’ll almost certainly enjoy a decent amount of experienced, in-the-moment pleasure. In other words, oftentimes if you want to maximize the likelihood of experiencing pleasure in the present means you minimize the likelihood of creating a great memory to look back on in the future. They are not the same thing to get one you may have to trade off on the other. Should you optimize decision making in life to have great experiences in the moment or to create great memories to look back on later? ![]() Would you rather enjoy today, or have great memories tomorrow and forever?
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