John Maynard Keynes's concept of 'spousal immortality'—perpetually deferring present satisfaction in favor of future goals—explains why people remain stuck in productivity cycles even when they intellectually know it's unsustainable: unconsciously, deferring satisfaction feels like cheating death.
causalpending
Speaker
Oliver BurkemanEvidence Quote
“by projecting our um our interests in what we're doing constantly into the future you're securing what kanes calls a spousal immortality”
Source
265 - Time, productivity, and purpose: insights from Four Thousand Weeks | Oliver Burkeman— Peter Attia MDCreated: 8/12/2026, 6:12:21 PM
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