Your Future Is A Stranger – Here’s How To Change That

Dr. Mark Johnson had done everything right—or so he thought. After ten difficult years of training for doctors, he had arrived. He finished his fellowship, got a respectable job, and soon devoted himself to building his practice. His income increased, and as a result, so did his lifestyle.

With his newfound wealth, he bought a “doctor’s house”—a haunted place on high ground. A vacation home quickly followed, along with luxury cars, lavish travel, and private school education for her children. To support this lifestyle—and meet the never-ending demand for his expertise—Dr. Johnson worked hard, averaging 60-70 hours a week.

At first, everything felt perfect. His patients were very grateful. He was loved and respected at work. His high salary allowed him to provide his family with the life he could only dream of. She convinced herself that the long hours were worth it—she was making a difference and protecting her family’s future.

But over time, the cost of his decisions became clear. In his pursuit of success, he neglected one important investment—his future personality.

He didn’t make time for exercise, telling himself he would get to it later. He would skip meals or rely on fast, unhealthy food. He missed countless times with his children and spouse, believing that financial support could take the place of being present. And he didn’t prioritize saving for the future, thinking his employer’s designated retirement contributions would be enough.

Fast forward 30 years.

At the age of 65, Dr. Johnson was tired, overweight, and suffering from high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, and chronic joint pain. Her spouse had grown distant, and although she provided for her children financially, they lacked independence and motivation.

The final blow came when he met with a financial planner and realized he was nowhere near ready to retire. Despite his high income years, his lavish lifestyle prevented him from building real wealth. Having saved little, he was now faced with an impossible choice: significantly reduce his standard of living, work well into his 70s, or do a combination of the two.

The truth came out—she had traded her life, her relationships, and her financial security for a life she couldn’t afford.

Why Do We Do This?

The answer lies in the way our brains are wired. The story of Dr. Johnson is a classic case of hyperbolic discounting and present bias—our brain’s tendency to prioritize immediate rewards over future gains, often to our long-term detriment.

Dr. Hal Hershfield, a psychologist at UCLA, has studied why people struggle with long-term decisions. His research shows that when people think about their future, the same brain regions are activated as when they think about a stranger. In other words, our future self feels like someone else entirely.

In a functional MRI study, Hershfield found that when participants described themselves 10 years into the future, their neural patterns were markedly different from those seen when they described their current self. Instead, their brain activity closely resembled patterns seen when thinking about famous actors, such as Matt Damon and Natalie Portman. This disconnect had real consequences—when later given an asset allocation task, those whose brain activity changed the most when discussing their future were less likely to prioritize long-term financial gains over small, immediate rewards.

This explains why it is so difficult to make sacrifices today for our future well-being. We naturally prioritize our current version over the alien we will become. As Hershfield puts it:

“In the mind, the future looks like someone else.”

This disconnect is made worse by the lack of reconciliation. As Groucho Marx once quipped,

“What have future generations done for us?”

The same concept applies to our future self—they haven’t done anything for us, so we don’t feel obligated to do something for them. Unlike relationships with friends and family, where we help others knowing that they can help us, our future will not be able to repay us. As a result, we ignore them completely.

Hershfield evaluated interventions to close this gap. In one study, he showed participants digitally enhanced photos of themselves to make their futures feel more real. The results were shocking—those who saw themselves as older were 16% more likely to contribute to retirement savings. The more we make the future clear, the more difficult it is to ignore.

To poke fun at this idea, watch this short video of Jerry Seinfeld talking about Night Guy vs. Morning Guy.

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The Cost of Ignoring Your Future

This disconnect doesn’t just affect finances—it affects every aspect of life.

Financial Results

Delaying retirement savings means missing out on compounding growth. Hershfield’s research found that people with the greatest neural distance from their future selves were also worse at saving money.

Health Effects

Skipping exercise, eating poorly, and neglecting preventive care may feel trivial today, but over time, it leads to chronic illness, decreased mobility, increased health care costs, and a shorter life.

Relationship Effects

Many doctors justify working long hours by saying, “I’m doing this for my family.” But financial security cannot replace time and presence. Deep relationships are built in the small, everyday moments—the ones that are easy to miss when work comes first.

How to Build Compassion for Your Future Self

Hershfield’s research suggests that making the future clear and emotional can improve long-term decision-making. What is one of the most effective strategies?
Treat your future the way you would treat a child you support—a person whose life depends entirely on your actions today. Just as you would commit to supporting a child in need, commit to financially ensuring the well-being of your future.

Think About How We Care For Others

Many of us support children in need, committing to a monthly donation to help provide food, education, and health care. This system works because it engages our emotions, creates commitment, and uses spontaneity.

We:

1. Look at their pictures.
2. Get letters from them and write them letters.
3. Commit to supporting them financially.
4. Automatically replenish that commitment with monthly donations.

Apply This to Your Future Self

You can use the same strategy to build a connection with your future partner:

1. Look at their pictures. Use the age progression app to visualize what you will look like in 30-40 years.
2. Write letters to them and write letters from them to you. Think about what they would say to thank you for taking care of them—or what they would regret if you didn’t.
3. Commit to helping them. Like sponsoring a child, make a smart and written pledge to put Future You first. This should be part of your written financial plan.
4. Automate your commitment. Set up recurring savings and investment contributions, ensuring you take care of them long before you need them.

Effective Strategies for Overcoming Hyperbolic Discounting

How do we overcome hyperbolic discounting, where we prefer small rewards sooner rather than bigger rewards later?

1. Make future-oriented decisions: Set aside an adequate savings rate from Day 1 (at least 20% of your salary), then plan for automatic retirement contributions and let time do the work.
2. Reclassify the savings as a current benefit: Instead of saying, “I’m losing money saving,” reframe it as, “I’m buying future freedom.” Think about specific ways you will use this freedom in retirement.
3. Make Future You clear and real: You can 1) write in a journal about what you will spend your time doing when you retire; 2) draw a picture of the home you want to go to, surrounded by your children and grandchildren; and 3) deliberately spending time with the elderly, asking them about their lives, what they remember, and what they regret.
4. Increase public accountability: Share your long-term financial goals with a trusted friend or mentor.

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Your Future Needs You Now

Dr. Johnson never planned to end up burned out, unhealthy, and financially unprepared for retirement. But he neglected to prioritize his future until it was too late.

Don’t make the same mistake. Your future is not a stranger—it is you, waiting for the decisions you make today. So, treat your future like a dependent:

• Look at their pictures.
• Read to them and write letters to them.
• Commit to helping them.
• Make that commitment automatic with recurring savings.

Take five minutes today to think about your future. What do they look like? What do you wish you had done differently? Now, take one specific step to invest in them—whether it’s increasing your retirement contributions, scheduling health screenings, or setting boundaries at work to get your time back. Your future depends on you.

Are you thinking about your future when it comes to saving and investing? Does that make you a better investor? If you were prioritizing short-term happiness, what can you do to think more about Future You?