Fact of Life: Short term benefit vs. long term gain

The goose that laid the golden egg. This story has been told so many times to so many people, it’s hard to imagine why it’s not an integral part of our society; but for some reason it’s not. The story goes like this: A man finds a goose that lays golden eggs every day. He is happy for a while, then quickly becomes impatient and cuts the goose open, hoping to find lots of golden eggs; but there are none. His greed cost him a lifetime of wealth and stability.

 NOW!

So you may want a new car, and it didn’t occur to you a year ago when you forgot to mail in a few credit card payments that you might want to buy a car. As a result, your credit score is not what you thought it would be. It’s a shame. We are impulsive sometimes, and end up with a new car anyways, but it certainly is disappointing that our interest rate is that high. We are creatures that demand immediate gratification. We want what we want, and we want it NOW! I horny I want sex now. Two hours ago when I was ignoring my wife, it didn’t occur to me that I would want sex in the future. I was wasting my time aimlessly browsing the internet, not even for boobie pictures. No, I was looking at stuff I had no intention of buying. Had I the foresight, I would have excused myself, gone to the store, and purchased flowers, a nice bottle of wine, and maybe even a Mars Bar for her. (This, of course, is simply to improve my chances. All of life is a cost/benefit analysis with consequences and benefits and hints of risk.) Then I would have rushed home to make dinner and clean a little. (Chances improving.) At this point she would have figured out my carefully devised strategy , and chances being what they are, gone along with my master plan…but no. “I want what I want and I want it now!” with no forethought to the future and what I might want next. So I just ask flat out and take my chances as they are, those chances not being very good.