I recently read an article titled Making Friends With Your Past and Future Selves by Katherine Ellison (dated 12-1-24). It was an intriguing piece about self-continuity.
Self-continuity is the subjective feeling that one remains the same person across their life, despite the changes that occur over time.
The article highlights research findings and the importance of self-continuity for a person’s well-being. One part of the research involved an MIT-developed program called Future You, in which young participants, through AI, could chat with their 60-year-old selves and exchange letters written from both the older and younger perspectives.
While this might seem unrelated at first glance, I think there’s something valuable to consider about self-continuity and how we feel connected to our past selves. For example, writing a letter to your younger self could be a meaningful exercise. Whether the focus is on avoiding mistakes or offering self-forgiveness, taking the time to reflect and connect seems like a worthwhile endeavor.
Any takers? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
