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Be yourself is a phrase which implies stagnation.

I heard a joke once that "past me was an ass hole, and ate that cake so now I've got to run." or something like that. That's the way I try to think about this. If I don't look back at past me with a little bit of that same feeling I get when looking at old code then I haven't grown. And I try to use that to remind current me that future me matters too.

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I do this. I learned a long time ago that past-me could be quite an asshole even to future-me. Thinking in this context allows me to assess the now and try to be a better past-me while in the present. I consider how future-me will react and adjust my actions accordingly.

Unfortunately it turns out that nobody, not even me, likes future-me. So fuck that guy, i'm going to leave that task for tomorrow

Some people aren't too happy about past-you either.

Eh, I prefer to think of it as looking at your foundation, or roots. It’s just a slab of concrete, where the stuff on top is a bit more elaborate and abstract. Looking back should be like looking at your foundation. It’s supporting everything that comes after it. Of course it’s less ‘sophisticated’. That’s good design. Unless someone was using crown molding build the foundation of their house. Like using OOP where you don’t need it.

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