Paul Graham's 2016 essay arguing that having children makes mortality vivid — and that this vividness is a useful lens for eliminating 'junk' from life.
The children-as-mortality-lens insight: Graham argues that having children makes time feel scarce in a new way (you can see how fast they grow, therefore how fast you're aging), and that this scarcity perception is clarifying — it makes it easier to identify what actually matters. The advice: use the question 'does this count as time well spent?' as a filter. Simple but articulate version of the memento mori life-design argument.
Discussing
Ask anything about Life is Short — their ideas, influences, contradictions, legacy.
Sign in to start a conversation.