Time, Predictions, False and True: How much of our own future
can we predict with accuracy? ===== "While my skills may be in
computers, and I could make a *lot* of money doing programming,
computer repairs, and the like, I see myself 20 years in the
future, miserable, lonely, depressed, and suicidal." - Kenneth
Udut, Feb 19, 1996 ====== Feb 19, 1996, I was in "church
hopping" mode and had just discovered the Eastern Orthodox. My
introduction was partly by phone, partly in person but much
after that was online. A mailing list of thousands.
In my introductory message, I expressed my gratitude, my
thoughts about monastic life, becoming a priest if I decided to
join them (which I did a few months later, and then petered off
my interest 5 yrs after that and now agnostic), but also said
this: "While my skills may be in computers, and I could make a
*lot* of money doing programming, computer repairs, and the
like, I see myself 20 years in the future, miserable, lonely,
depressed, and suicidal." - Kenneth Udut, Feb 19, 1996 So, it's
almost 20 years later now. Jan 13, 2016. It turns out I *did*
make a lot of money doing programming and computer work, running
businesses and the like, even the stock market for a bit. But
I'm not miserable, lonely, depressed or suicidal. Could a strong
awareness of a _possible_ future help us unconsciously sidestep
bad parts of that possible future WHILE we're living in the
future time frame we worried about? In short, did I internalize
this and make it a goal for 43 yr old Ken to NOT embody the
negative-potential-future 43 yr old Ken that I was afraid of
when I was 23 year old Ken? == Of course it's POSSIBLE that the
predicted future _could_ come true, as it's not yet 20 yrs.
*fingers crossed on that*!
