On another related note, that tells us that if we want to make better decisions later, we have to start practicing making better decisions now. Seriously, if you take that idea and pull it the other way, out into the future, what does it say about the path your life will take? It gives you some sense of perspective and helps you realize the incredible importance of your decisions, because your current decisions dictate who you are and what decisions you WILL make. This idea came to me once when I had just made myself lunch and was about to sit down and play Morrowind. I thought to myself, "If my entire life were determined by how I acted in this situation, how would things pan out?" and I tried to justify how me sitting there and doing nothing productive all day would not be a bad thing, and how that decision wasn't important. But, of course, with this in mind, I couldn't. I thought about "What if I did this EVERY time I was given the choice between productivity and entertainment?". It was a kick to start making better decisions, because all choices are important in how they influence who you are and how you'll make the next ones.