“Human beings are works in progress that mistakenly think they are finished.”
Let’s start with some important context for understanding our capacity for growth. Psychologists have identified an interesting phenomenon called the "end of history illusion," where we tend to imagine that the person we are right now is essentially the person we'll always be for the rest of time. This causes us to routinely underestimate how much we will change in the coming years. In this short but fast-moving presentation, psychologist Dan Gilbert explains some of the psychology behind how you see your “future self.”
The key takeaways:
Our capacity for change is much greater than we usually predict.
Time is a powerful force for change.
Just because you can’t imagine it doesn’t mean it’s unlikely.
You’re not done growing!
Think of the things you’ve learned and the ways you’ve grown in just the past 5 years. You’ve almost certainly had experiences that you never would have predicted, and you’ve probably grown in important ways and learned some very important things. Who knows what the next 5 years may have in store? The following sections will help you maximize whatever life sends your way to help you flourish—perhaps like you can’t even imagine right now!